Hour 1
Hear how a lot cash it can save you by putting in luxurious vinyl tile your self, what to do about thermal growth gaps in crown molding and extra.
Save Large by Putting in LVT Your self
Luxurious vinyl tile is a good possibility for owners on the lookout for a sturdy, waterproof, and easy-to-clean flooring possibility.
Additionally, it’s one of the inexpensive flooring choices, making it a fantastic alternative for budget-conscious owners. Joe researched the prices and right here’s what he discovered:
Most individuals pay on common $1,400 to have 200 sq. toes of vinyl plank flooring put in. Nevertheless, you should purchase luxurious vinyl for $2.50-$4 per sq. foot at The Dwelling Depot.
So, in the event you set up it your self, it may solely price you between $500-800. That’s a saving, on common, of $600-900 over a professionally put in job!
You don’t want any particular instruments to put in luxurious vinyl tile. A field cutter is all it takes to chop the tiles.
The primary mistake folks make when putting in is reducing it tight in opposition to a wall. All floating flooring require an growth area — you’ll want wherever from 1 / 4 inch to half an inch.
Run the posh vinyl tile as much as the baseboard and canopy the hole with shoe molding. Simply you should definitely safe the shoe molding to the baseboard.
Comply with the instructions precisely concerning any underlayment. Relying on the kind you purchase, the underlayment may already be hooked up.
Watch: The way to Simply Set up Luxurious Vinyl Tile
What to Do About Gaps in Crown Molding
That is the primary winter that Chris has spent in his new Alabama house, and he’s seeing the consequences of thermal growth.
Over the previous months, he says important gaps have proven up within the crown molding all through the home.
“Ought to I ask my builder to right the problem? If the gaps are crammed, will it trigger the molding to buckle when it will get hotter?” he asks.
It’s superb how a lot supplies in a house develop and contract, and doubtless nowhere is it extra evident than once you’re crown molding.
The excellent news is these gaps will often shut on their very own as soon as hotter climate comes again round.
Nevertheless, when you’ve got some gaps which can be very pronounced, right here’s what you are able to do:
- Nail it in place: Use a nail gun to safe the crown molding to the wall.
- Fill it with caulk: As an alternative of utilizing conventional caulk, rigorously apply an acrylic latex caulk. The trick is to barely feed it into the cracked space, in order that when it does shut again, it stays versatile. The hole will nonetheless seem however it received’t be as deep or as noticeable.
Hour 2
Take heed to be taught the simple solution to take away acorns out of your yard, why a glass cooktop can shatter, what you must do to cowl terracotta tile and extra.
Eliminating an Acorn Overload
That is nuts! A home-owner says he has greater than 250,000 acorns in his entrance yard.
“In addition to raking, which I hate, how can I decide up the acorns? My self-propelled lawnmower doesn’t have the facility to select them up. Is there a bit of kit appropriate for the job?” he asks.
Right here’s what you need to use to take away acorns from a yard:
- Leaf blower: A leaf blower can blow the acorns right into a pile, making them simpler to gather. Bonus tip: Use a tarp to comprise the acorns whereas blowing them, making cleanup even simpler!
- Garden vacuum: A garden vacuum can suck up acorns and take away them from the yard. These may be expensive, so see in the event you can hire one, or rent a landscaper who owns one to make use of in your yard.
To get rid of this drawback sooner or later, forestall the acorns from falling within the first place. If potential, take away the tree or prune it in order that it doesn’t produce as many acorns.
Some chemical remedies can forestall acorn manufacturing, however solely an expert arborist ought to apply them.
Consider — eradicating acorns may be time-consuming and also you may have to repeat it as new acorns fall.
All the time put on security gear to guard your self from falling acorns and pay attention to bugs or critters within the acorns or hiding within the tree.
‘Why Did My Glass Cooktop Shatter?’
A home-owner says the tempered glass on his fuel cooktop instantly shattered the opposite day, although the equipment wasn’t on and he didn’t drop something onto it.
“What would trigger that to occur?” he asks.
Tempered glass is designed to be sturdy and sturdy, however it might shatter unexpectedly for a number of causes.
A few of the most typical causes of tempered glass shattering embrace:
- Improper set up: If the cooktop shouldn’t be put in appropriately, it might put stress on the glass and trigger it to shatter. As an example, if the countertop is overlapping the cooktop, it may put some stress on the highest, ultimately inflicting it to shatter.
- Thermal stress: If the cooktop or the glass is uncovered to speedy modifications in temperature, reminiscent of from a sizzling pot being positioned on a chilly cooktop or vice versa, it might trigger thermal stress and trigger the glass to shatter.
- Manufacturing defects: Typically, tempered glass can have manufacturing defects that make it extra liable to shattering. If so, report it to the producer.
You possibly can name an expert to interchange the glass cooktop, however it may be costly. Think about changing the equipment with a range that doesn’t have a glass cooktop.
To stop a glass cooktop from shattering, observe the following pointers:
- Don’t place a sizzling pot on a chilly cooktop or flip the cooktop on excessive and instantly place a chilly pot on it. This will trigger thermal stress and may trigger the glass to shatter.
- Use cookware with flat bottoms to distribute warmth evenly and stop warping or bending.
- Don’t slide cookware throughout the cooktop, as it might scratch or chip the glass.
- Don’t place heavy objects, reminiscent of forged iron pans or stress cookers, on the cooktop as they’ll trigger influence harm.
- Clear the cooktop repeatedly with a gentle detergent and a non-abrasive sponge or material to take away any filth, grime or stains.
- Use a stovetop cowl to guard the cooktop from scratches or stains when not in use.
- Don’t overheat the cooktop, as it might trigger the glass to overheat and shatter.
- All the time observe the producer’s directions for the care and use of your cooktop.
Masking Terracotta Tile
A home-owner has terracotta tiles all through her second-floor California apartment.
“The floor is simply too onerous, very uncomfortable!” she says. “Can we’ve extra snug flooring put in on high? It looks like removing will probably be very costly, disruptive and noisy.”
As a result of conventional terracotta flooring has such an irregular floor, you’ll wish to apply a self-leveling underlayment to create a clean, even floor for putting in one other sort of flooring over it.
You may run into the issue of elevating the ground peak an excessive amount of to the place it might block home equipment from opening or make them not stage together with your cupboards and counters. Examine the peak of the brand new flooring to verify this received’t occur after you’ve put in it.
There are a number of choices for overlaying terracotta tiles, together with:
- Vinyl flooring: Vinyl flooring may be put in over the prevailing tiles and is sturdy and simple to scrub.
- Engineered hardwood flooring: Engineered hardwood flooring may be put in over the prevailing tiles and supply a heat and pure look.
- Laminate flooring: Laminate flooring may also be put in over the prevailing tiles and is on the market in lots of types and colours.
- Floating ground: A floating ground is a sort of flooring that isn’t hooked up to the subfloor, such a flooring may be put in over the terracotta tiles and may be made of various supplies like laminate, engineered hardwood, or cork.
Seek the advice of with an expert flooring specialist to find out the most suitable choice to your particular state of affairs.
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Easy Options
Pool-Toy Plumbing Software — Earlier than repairing most plumbing clogs, it’s essential to first take away any standing water. Now, you can use a sponge or moist/dry vac, however right here’s an alternative choice: take a child’s water-squirting toy, generally known as a water blaster, and use it like a siphon pump. Merely place the nozzle of the toy into the water and draw again on the deal with to suck up the water. Then you possibly can squirt it right into a bucket, rest room or tub. That is nice for sink clogs, rest room clogs, or when you’ve got a malfunctioning washer that has water standing within the tub.
Watch: The way to Take away Standing Water From a Clogged Sink
Paint Display Saver — When utilizing paint from a beforehand opened can, it’s greatest to go the paint via a filter to display screen out dried paint chips and different small bits of particles. You should purchase disposable paint filters, however they’re flimsy, not reusable and the paint flows via a lot too slowly. As an alternative, use a bit of vinyl insect screening. Lower the display screen about 12 or 14in. sq., safe it to a brand new, clear paint can with three small spring clamps, after which pour the previous paint via the display screen. When completed, rinse out the display screen with a backyard hose and put it aside for the following paint job.
Watch: The way to Filter Paint Utilizing a Window Display
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