When I decided to remodel my kitchen, recycled glass tile was one of the materials I considered using. While I ultimately chose another material, recycled glass tile has become popular with architects and homeowners who are drawn to its unique aesthetic.

It's difficult to say exactly how environmentally sensitive recycled glass tile is when you consider that the only environmental benefit is that it uses recycled materials. The glass must be melted to be used, a process that expends tremendous amounts of energy. And while it's good to keep consumer waste out of landfills, glass can be recycled into many different things, not just tiles.

A crack in a fiberglass tub or shower isn't always cause to replace it. Fiberglass repair, once left to the professionals, can now be completed by the meticulous homeowner using a fiberglass repair kit.

Before attempting a repair it is important to know that most likely the crack will still be slightly visible. If this bothers you, have your fiberglass tub or shower replaced, or call a professional to make the repair. However, if you just want to make a repair that will enable you to continue to use your shower, you can fix it yourself.


Step-By-Step Instructions to Repair Your Fiberglass Tub/Shower

The first step in making a repair is to figure out why the crack occurred and fix the underlying problem.

Replacing a toilet is more intimidating than difficult. The trip to your local home improvement store to buy a new toilet may take longer than the time required to replace it. With a few basic tools, a new wax seal, silicone caulk and a new toilet you can have this job done in about an hour.


Step-By-Step Instructions for Replacing a Toilet

When replacing the toilet you must check the off set to make sure that it is less than or equal to the off set of the old toilet.

Note: The off set is the measurement between the wall behind the toilet and the bolts that hold down the toilet bowl.

Also check the measurements of any nearby obstructions that could restrict the size of your replacement.

Tulip Poplar bark siding is about as rustic as it gets in the building material world. This was the first time I had seen Yellow Poplar bark shingles/shakes in use and we saw it while on our little excursion a couple of weeks ago on the home garden tour we attended recently.

The fully landscaped 10-acre estate on the tour featured a fully equipped outdoor kitchen, fireplace, picnic tables (dining area) and...(drumroll please) an outhouse clad in Tulip Poplar bark siding. Now that's rustic outdoor living at its' finest!  

Bathroom furniture vanities are a great way to add a custom touch and personality to an otherwise basic bathroom.

The furniture vanities I'm about to show you are all from the model home that was built in Summerlyn, a craftsman style home subdivision that I wrote about recently. Co-developer, LaVaughn Johnson, explained that the homes he is building don't have to have these particular furniture vanities. The buyer is offered a myriad of choices to suit their own style and needs. Flexibility is just one of the keys to new home sales and Summerlyn has it.

Is there no limit to the level of stupidity of products that inventors come up with? Most likely not. Case in point...the TwoDaLoo.  Break it down by syllable and what you have is a double-sided toilet where you can chat it up with your mate while you both...'go'...at the exact same time...side-by-side...facing one another. Well intentioned as it may have been at that "Eureka" moment for the inventor, it's a bit unseemly for the general public, in my humble opinion.

They say that love is blind, and for you to consider this dual-toilet option maybe love would also be deaf and you'd have anosmia. What's a little dueling tinkles between lovers? And when you're through discussing your plans for the evening you can both flush in unison. What a concept.

"On 3......1...2 annnddd 3."

Get ready for some more dumb homebuilding ideas to come your way. We've come across a few recently and here's another candidate.

We think Jack and Jill bathrooms are a great feature to include in a home plan for the kids rooms...when there's room for it! Some of the best Jack and Jill plans we've seen always...always include double vanities, water closet with a door, tub/shower, linen closet and elbow room.

I want to emphasize that last point...ELBOW ROOM!