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Architecture : Home & Garden
How to Install Laminate Floor Patterns
Laminate flooring is a do-it-yourself friendly project that adds a new look to your house. Though it can be installed without extensive remodeling knowledge, there are some essential factors to installation that require careful planning. One of the most important factors revolves around installing l
How to Choose a Residential Elevator
Elevators transport the elderly, disabled and those with mobility challenges to various levels throughout a building. Those who require this type of mobility assistance may consider installing a residential elevator in their own homes. Home elevators are considered a modern luxury, and according to
How to Take Down Bifold Doors
Bifold doors are popular choices for laundry rooms and closets. However, if you grow tired of dealing with bifold doors that bring you constant problems by not fully closing or closing too tightly or even dragging, you can take the doors down yourself. Also take the doors down if you want to reverse
How to Select Laminate Flooring
Wood flooring is an attractive addition to any home, and one that is highly desired; however, wood flooring is expensive to buy, install and maintain, which is why many homeowners choose laminate floors instead. Laminate floors give the look of wood without the high expense. They are more durable an
How to Install 1/4 Round Molding
Quarter-round molding gives baseboards a rich, elegant finish. It comes in natural (wood) and synthetic (hard vinyl) materials at a range of prices. Installing this inexpensive molding requires no special carpentry skills or costly tools, and the pieces are so light that you can handle even longer
How to Prevent Water Bugs in a Swimming Pool
Preventing water bugs proves difficult in wet, humid summer weather. You can use a few common drugstore items to keep bugs at bay. Use simple dish detergent to kill your existing bugs, and use borax to prevent them from coming back. Keep your pool well-chlorinated and clean to prevent algae growth a
Why Doesn't Bruce Engineered Hardwood Floor Lock?
Armstrong World Industries, Inc., makes a line of floating, engineered hardwood flooring under the Bruce brand, well known for its interlocking, no-glue system designed for easy do-it-yourself installation. Bruce Lock & Fold flooring requires careful handling and precise alignment of the boards for
Directions for Installing Insulation
Effective insulation makes a good house. It enables the heating/cooling unit to distribute warm or cool air efficiently and economically. But a California study found that up to one-third of new houses are improperly insulated, with gaps or holes that allow conditioned air to escape or unconditioned
Marble Floor Treatment
A marble floor has an elegance and beauty unmatched by other materials. Whether the floor is polished, honed or tumbled, marble requires special care to keep it looking great. Washing it and treating it with the proper marble care products will help ensure your floor has as long a life as possible.
Can You Use Corning Glass in the Oven?
Corning glass, also known as CorningWare, is a sturdy porcelain material used to make different sized casserole and baking dishes. The brand was popularized during the 1950s based on its durability, versatile uses and ease of cleaning by hand or in dishwashers. It can be safely used for a variety of
How do I Remove the Smell of Smoke From Carpets?
Long after the cigarette has been smoked, the smoke has a tendency to linger. Smoke travels through the air and settles upon surfaces. Smoke leaves a potentially harmful residue behind that contains carcinogens and heavy metals. Known as third-hand smoke, it's important to get rid of this smell not
How to Find Your House Boundaries
It is important to know the accurate boundaries of your property if you are considering putting up a fence, or if you are involved in a dispute with your neighbors. Without a clear marker like an existing fence, this can prove a difficult task, and any conclusion you reach may cause trouble with you
What Are Inset Gas Fires?
Gas inset fires essentially offer a method of heating your home while providing an aesthetically pleasing focal point for a living room. They're designed to sit flush with a wall as they burn natural gas to provide heat.
What Are the Minimum Dimensions for a Kitchen Countertop Prep Area?
The kitchen prep area, or work space, needs to comfortably accommodate at least one cook. Without adequate counter space for food preparation, you’ll end up wandering around the kitchen in search of more surface area. According to the National Kitchen and Bath Association, when homeowners are
How to Make a Volleyball Court in the Backyard
Volleyball is a fantastic sport that is not only great exercise, but also really fun to play. What's a family picnic without a friendly game in the backyard? If you want to kick your backyard barbecue up a notch, or if you have a child currently playing on a team, you might want to build your very o
Pantry Pest Identification
Even the most fastidious homemakers will likely encounter a pest in the pantry at one time or another. Correctly identifying the bugs helps determine what they are seeking and how to prevent their return.
Correct Way to Apply Wood Filler to Exterior Siding
A home's siding is exposed to a great amount of wear and tear from the elements. If the siding is made of wood, it can crack, splinter and develop divots. Wood filler is a product that you can use to fill minor depressions and cracks in a home's wood siding. The filler is a putty-like material that
What Causes Drywall to Crack?
Drywall, which comes in sheets, has many advantages over the old lattice method of plastering a wall. Drywall is not without issues, though, and can still crack under certain circumstances. There are a few things that you need to look for and consider when you are troubleshooting the drywall.
How to Install CATV in Modern Homes
Installing cable television into a home is really no more complicated than connecting a series of cables together, and then stringing them to the televisions around your home. Cable television comes to our homes the same way that power lines do; a cable installer will run a single "main line" up ont
Acid Stain Technique
Acid staining is a common technique used to transform gray concrete to something that possesses a greater splash of color. Acid stains contain a combination of hydrochloric acid, acid-soluble metallic salts and water. Together, these ingredients can penetrate the very porous quality of most cement s