Home Improvement Projects

By: D. David Dugan

Whole House Remodel Problems
The Gas Meter Relocation During Remodeling
Be Nice To Everyone Including Your Building Inspector

Where to Start

People want to do home improvement projects all the time to increase the value of their home. Many people, however, do not know which project to tackle first when they have multiple projects to be done. Picking which project to do first can be decided by a number of things. Money and urgency are the biggest factors in this. If you have a hole in your roof, obviously you need to get that fixed before putting a shed up in your yard. But if you need new windows because the old ones are older than you and your bathroom looks like it’s stuck in the 70’s, you have a choice. Some improvements will be more time consuming than others and that should be taken into consideration before starting anything.

Before you Start

Do your research before starting anything. Whether you plan to do the project yourself or hire someone to do it for you, make sure you know what you are getting into before buying anything or signing any contract. Any home improvement job can be done by yourself or a company. Depending on the job will depend on what you need to not only get it done, but also how much it will cost. Check out different home improvement stores for varying prices as well as professionals. Ask your neighbors who did their project and how much it cost, if they are willing to tell you the price. If they did it themselves, ask how long it took and if they ran into any problems they didn’t believe they would encounter. If they did encounter problems, ask them how they fixed them. On the other hand if they used a professional ask what they thought of the work the professional did. Knowing what you might be getting into is the best knowledge of all. And if it is possible, ask more than one home owner about the same project so you can compare notes.

Do It Yourself versus Professional

You have decided what project you want to do. You have done your research and have an idea what it should cost and how long it should take. Now you must decide if you want to do it yourself or hire a professional crew to do it for you. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. Doing it yourself can be much cheaper because you aren’t paying labor costs that are added to the professionals’ prices. However you have to know that you will have ample time to fix complete the project and that you can live in your home comfortably enough while you do finish. Also if you run into a complication, you have to know how to fix it quickly so as not to lose any more time on completing the project. This can get expensive if you don’t know how to fix it or are on limited time and money. Having a professional do it can cost thousands more, depending on the project, but you will have an estimate time of completion. And, the best part of all, if there are any mess ups, you are not responsible for fixing them. Well for the most part you won’t be responsible. You will need to read the fine print on any contract you sign with a professional. Another advantage of having a professional is that the work is warranted.

Using the Professional

Once you decide to go with a professional, you should get multiple quotes before making your choice of who to use. Even if the company that did your neighbors windows comes highly recommended, your house is different and they may have different pricing specials now than when your neighbors had their windows put in. Get at least four or five quotes to see exactly what the professionals cost and the differences in how they do business, their warranty works, estimate for when they can start your project, and completion time frame. Don’t go for just the big ads in the phone book. The smaller companies can be just as good and cost less than a big name. Most places give free estimates nowadays. No matter what, don’t let any professional push you into using them before you have all the estimates you want. They may sound great as the first or second, but their job is to get you sign with them and convince you they are better than anyone else out there. Take everything they say with a grain of salt.

About The Author


D. David Dugan has a website http://homeimprovement.divinfo.com/ to help homeowners find all the information they need about remodeling, home repair, building decks and carports, room additions, and more. He also actively participates in an article directory at http://www.articlemotron.com that has current and up to date information on many topics.

Broken Key Removal

(Pin Tumbler Locks)
By: Roger J. Fischer



Having a key break off in one of your locks can be a real pain in the neck. But with the proper information you can better understand the problem and take steps to solve it. With the information I provide in this article, you stand a very good chance of removing the key yourself and preventing it from happening to you in the future.

WHAT CAUSES KEYS TO BREAK

Most keys, even brass and nickle-plated keys, will eventually wear out and break along any of a key's cuts. But some conditions will speed up the process such as:

1. The key has one or more deep cuts which become the "weak point" of the key. After so much use (or just a little abuse) the key will break at these points. Having a deep cut as the first cut (next to the head of the key) can be real trouble but a deep cut in the middle of the key can cause big problems too;

2. The key is made of a light-weight material not suitable for everyday use. Keys cut on aluminum blanks are a prime example. They will also break at a deep-cut "weak point" only sooner. Identified by their light weight and either grey in color or sometimes bright colors such as red, green, blue or gold.

Usually before a key breaks, one or more tiny cracks will appear by the cut about to give way. You may want to check your keys right now -at least the ones that you use and depend on every day. If you see a tiny crack being formed by one of the cuts or if the key is bent or misshapen in any way, go to your nearest locksmith or key shop and get another one or two made. And just to be safe, don't carelessly toss the old key away. A new key could be made from the pieces and used to access your property.

BROKEN KEY REMOVAL TOOLS

We locksmiths have a variety of tools for removing broken keys from locks. One of the more common tools I use is made of springy steel that is 5" long, 5/16" wide at the handle and .022" thick. There is a small tapered barb at the end of this tool that will dig or "bite" into the broken key piece so the piece can be pulled out.

It is not absolutely necessary to invest in a broken key extractor tool. As long as the tool you use is made of sturdy metal, is narrow enough to enter the keyway, and has a barb to grab on to the broken key you will likely be successful. A scroll saw or jig saw blade should do the trick.

PROCEDURE #1 - Partial Key Broken Off In Lock

When a deep cut gets too weak somewhere in the middle of a key, you end up with the front part of the key in the lock and the remainder in your hand. The good news is the lock is probably in the proper position for key removal (more on that later).

FIRST - unless the lock has been in good working order (with the key going in and out smoothly) prior to the key breaking off, I suggest spraying a lubricant such as WD-40 or Tri-Flow in the lock's keyway first. You want the broken key piece to slip out as easy as possible and a dry or gummy lock will make the job harder.

SECOND - insert the removal tool into the lock's keyway so that the barb (or teeth) can contact the cuts of the key piece to be removed. You should be able to tell how far to insert the tool based on how much of the key you still have in your hand.

THIRD - let the barb "bite" into one of the cuts of the broken key piece and give the tool a sharp tug towards you. The key piece should coming flying out.

FOURTH - take the two pieces of the key to your local locksmith or key center and get another one or two made.

PROCEDURE #2 - All But Key's Head Broken Off In Lock

When the first cut in the key is deep and gets too weak, you end up with just the head of the key in your hand. Most of the time what remains in the lock is the operating part of the key. That is, all key cuts that are necessary to operate the lock are stuck in the lock (if you are really lucky, enough of the key will be sticking out so a small pliers/tweezers are all you need to remove the broken piece-but that usually doesn't happen). You can test if the lock will operate by taking a small screwdriver and, using it like a key, try turning the lock cylinder. If the lock cylinder does not turn follow procedure #1. If you can turn the cylinder more than a few degrees to the right or left you have to make sure the lock cylinder is positioned so the key can be removed. Let me explain...

Most locks have one position that a lock cylinder must be in for key removal. If you were to insert a key in most any pin tumbler lock and turn it, the key could not be removed until the lock cylinder is back in the proper key removal position. The same is true when removing a broken key piece that still works the lock. The key cylinder must be in its normal key removal position or you will be wasting your time trying to remove the broken piece.

FIRST - as in Procedure #1, we suggest spraying a lubricant such as WD-40 or Tri-Flow in the lock's keyway first.

SECOND - insert the removal tool into the lock's keyway so that the barb (or teeth) can contact the cuts of the key piece to be removed. You should not have to insert the tool very far - just so it reaches the first or second cut of the key piece.

THIRD - let the barb "bite" into one of the cuts of the broken key piece and give the tool a sharp tug towards you. The key piece should coming flying out of the keyway.

FOURTH - take the two pieces of the key to your local locksmith or key center and get another one or two made.

Now that you have read through this information, you should be ready to attempt removing a broken key on your own. Good Luck! NOTE: This article (with pictures) can also be found on my web site www.GoldKeySelect.com.

About The Author


Roger J. Fischer is a security professional with over 25 years of experience in providing security solutions for his customers. For more articles related to security, safety and a variety of other topics visit http://www.GoldKeySelect.com

10 Types of Hammers

...Which One Is Right For You?
By: Christian Krohn



On your next project, will you be using the right hammer for the job? Save yourself some time and be sure to use the right one.

Hammers come in many different shapes and forms. Using the wrong hammer can make a project go sour real quick. It's a good idea to know what hammers are available and when to use them.

Sledgehammer: One of the big daddy's of the hammer family. This hammer is probably the biggest hammer you'll use. This hammer is mainly used on outdoor projects. These hammers are designed to deliver heavy force. To use the big daddy of hammers you're going to need some strength and good aim. Toes and fast moving sledgehammers do not make a good mix! There are smaller hand sized sledgehammer's available as well.

Mason's Hammer: Great for working on brick, concrete or mortar. This hammer is often used for cutting and setting brick. It can be used as a hammer or a chisel when laying brick.

Mallets: Mallets are a great hammer to use when restraint is needed. These hammers are also a good replacement for steel hammers when concerned about marring a surface. Great for driving chisels and for woodworking. The heads or mallets can be made of different materials, usually wooden, rubber or plastic.

Deadblow: Another good hammer to use when concerned about marring a surface. The deadblow is designed to reduce and eliminate bouncing on contact. Most deadblows are made of plastic.

Framing Hammer: A long handled hammer normally used by carpenters to frame houses. It has a milled face to reduce slipping off nails on contact. You can find smooth faced framing hammers as well which are often used for decking. A framing hammer is fairly heavy to drive nails easier.

Claw Hammer: Very similar to a framing hammer but is much lighter. This hammer is a toolbox must and is more of a general use hammer. When using a claw hammer try and grip the base of the handle rather than the head. This will give you more accuracy and leverage.

Tack Hammer: Designed mainly to use on nailing tacks. This hammer is usually small in size and fairly light, about 5 Oz. Most tack hammers are magnetized to pick up tacks that have fallen.

Ball Peen Hammer: This hammer is mainly used for cold chisels and forming metal. As it's name describes, it has one side with a ball on it and one side with a smooth face. There are many different sizes of ball pein hammers to choose from.

Roofing Hammer: This hammer is really a job specific tool. The face is always milled, often square, and the peen will be either a standard sharp hatchet for trimming cedar shingles or equipped with a tiny razor blade for cutting asphalt shingles.

Drywall Hammer: Used to install drywall. It has a pronounced mushroom shape to the face and an odd, dull hatchet-shaped peen. The peen's flat shape helps somewhat when beating nails inside corners. The head of the drywall hammer is angled upward for extra reach. The face is lightly milled and sometimes also truncated across the very top of the head for driving nails near the ceiling.

Always wear safety glasses when hammering as broken pieces of nails can become dangerous shrapnel. It also may not be a bad idea to wear gloves on the first day you work with a new hammer. It can really help prevent getting blisters.

You may reprint this article in it's original form provided the bio line is attached.

About The Author


Christian Krohn
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Ease Of Working With Tools on Decks

Choosing The Right Wood For Your Deck -
By: Malcolm D Kay
If you’re planning on building a wood deck yourself, one of the important considerations is the degree of difficulty in working with the lumber chosen. Not only do you want the lumber to be relatively easy to cut with normal hand or power tools, but you need to consider if splitting may easily occur when nailing, how easy it is to drive nails into the wood, and how easy it is to obtain a smooth finish on the surface of the decking.

The surface finish of course is taken care of by the lumber mill. But even with the best mills, for some exceptionally hard species you may notice machining marks remaining on the surface or a surface roughness due to lifting of the grain whilst machining.

Cutting
Most durable hardwood species are both dense and hard and should ideally be cut with a carbide tipped saw. For softwood species, a handsaw can be quite OK, but even in this case, a carbide tipped saw makes the job a lot easier and quicker.
With some hardwood species such as Teak and Turpentine, rapid blunting of cutting edges can occur due to the presence of a higher than normal level of silica. Ipe is another species which can cause blunting of cutting edges and care also needs to be taken when working with Ipe due to the fine yellow dust produced when sawing or drilling, as it has been known to cause dermatitis with some workers exposed to the dust.

Nailing
Splitting when nailing is a common problem and some species are more prone to splitting than others. For many hardwood species, pre-drilling will be virtually essential, although use of a nail gun can overcome this requirement to some extent. Even with some of the more brittle softwoods and in particular cypress species, care needs be taken when nailing. If nailing close to the end of the decking planks, pre-drilling is always recommended to avoid stress in the timber which may cause to cracks to develop at later stage.

If using nails to fix the planks to bearers and the deck is fully exposed to the weather, standard iron nails should not be used as they will rust. Instead you should use galvanized nails or nails specifically designed for exterior use. Another point to note is that some lumber species can corrode iron fixings or fastenings due to the extractives in the wood. Although this will only occur when the deck is situated in exposed weather conditions, it can speed up the corrosion of standard iron nails and cause them to fail quite rapidly. Western Red Cedar is one such species with extractives that can cause corrosion and some other species which are slightly acidic such as Kempas, can also cause corrosion with standard iron nails.

Drilling

Similar precautions need to be taken against corrosion if using screws rather than nails to fix the planks to the bearers. Stainless steel screws are certainly the best option, but plated screws could be considered provided they are recommended for exterior exposure. Remember that as the head of screw is much larger than a nail, rust stains will be more of a problem and can leave unsightly black marks around the screw holes if inappropriate screws are used.
Alternative fixing devices

A number of alternative fixing materials are also available which have the advantage of leaving the surface free of nail holes or screw holes. These systems generally rely on a fastening device which is driven into the side of the planks and attached to the bearers below. The only obvious drawback of this system is that replacing a single plank if damaged or decayed in any way can only be achieved by nailing or screwing the replacement plank back in place in the conventional manner.
Alternative wood decking materials

If you don’t want to build a deck yourself but just wish to cover an old patio with solid wood decking, another quick and convenient option is to use wood decking tiles. These tiles just click into place on top of an existing deck or patio and eliminate the need for cutting, drilling and nailing. You may need to cut a few tiles to fit around pipes, posts etc but that’s all. For further details see http://www.deckingtiles.com./ They can also be used to repair an existing wood deck by just placing the tiles over the top of the existing deck.

About The Author
Malcolm Kay is the CEO of Intex Pacific Pty. Ltd. an international supplier of landscape materials including modular decking tiles. For more information see http://www.deckingtiles.com/.

Chainsaw Manufacturers Have Excellent Safety Records

By: Jerry Smith



Chainsaw manufacturers have excellent safety videos available. Always make sure you check safety features such as chain brakes, safety chains, and deadman switches. Chainsaws provide all the convenience of a Chainsaw, even in enclosed areas and near residential buildings. Make sure to service your systems chainsaw will help ensure that your equipment will not let you down.

Correct chain tension proper lubrication and a properly tuned engine. Your new chain if possible, soak the chain in oil to allow oil to penetrate all chain components, the chain tension should be checked and adjusted if needed before every use.

Before using your chainsaw each time you need to inspect the fuel system.After every 10 hours of use you need to clean or replace the air filter. Chainsaw two stroke engines a great power-to-weight ratio compared to many four-stroke engine designs.

The air intake filter tends to clog up with sawdust. The fuel filter should be replaced after every 20 hours of use. You'll acquire better chainsaw performance through basic maintenance, carburetor setting, and filing techniques. A vibration dampening system, which makes simple work of the most difficult tasks. These are merely tips to assist you while searching for a Chainsaw.

Chainsaws are easier to use than ever. Your chainsaw converts logs into lumber or timber. Before you use a chainsaw you should undergo extensive training, and only trained people should use a chainsaw, always think safety.

Suitable protective clothing suitable protective clothing should be worn - no matter how small the job.

Chainsaws produce a level of noise that will affect unprotected ears after only 15 minutes of exposure, wear ear muffs or ear plugs to keep as much noise as possible out.

About The Author


Jerry Smith can help you. Find out how thousands of people have been helped with the advice and information. Visit this link for details: http://www.find-chainsaws.com/buy-chainsaw.html.