Home Building

Green Building Materials: Finger Jointed Lumber

With new home construction consuming over 40 percent of all wood used in the United States [Source], finger jointed lumber is an excellent way of making use of what would normally be considered scrap lumber. Even for the average homeowner finger jointed lumber provides an opportunity to specify a green building product requires no special considerations for design or budget.


What Is Finger Jointed Lumber?

Finger jointed lumber is created when scrap lumber is milled with finger joints on each end and glued together to create standard sizes. Although it is mostly used for vertical applications, finger jointed lumber is an excellent replacement material for the standard studs found within most walls [Source].

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How to Make a Fiberglass Repair on Your Shower or Bathtub

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.

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How To Fix or Replace a Kitchen Sink Sprayer

Fixing a broken kitchen sprayer hose is within the skill set of most homeowners. All that is needed is an adjustable wrench, some plumber's tape, and replacement parts for your particular kitchen sink sprayer.

Step-By-Step Instructions to Fix a Broken Kitchen Sprayer Hose

The fix required for your kitchen sink sprayer will depend on where the leak or problem lies. If the leak is occurring between the seams of the sprayer nozzle, a faulty gasket within the spray assembly could be to blame.

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Ultra-High Tech Refrigerated Wall Oven is a Marvel of Engineering

Imagine a wall oven that refrigerates your prepared entree inside of the oven during the day until you begin the cooking process via your internet browser from anywhere in the world (but just close enough to be home for dinner). Now that's cutting edge! It's not just state-of-the-art stuff...it's award-winning state-of-the-art stuff...many times over. Imagine having to login to your oven to prepare the evening feast. Then you get...'Did you forget your password?' 'Please enter your email address to retrieve your new password.' I don't know if that's how it goes with this new oven but I can see that happening.

Imagine no more. It's for real. Refrigerated wall ovens are here and I think they're here to stay in this hectic, convenience-associated society we live in. This certainly won't replace the $40 crock pot but it gives a whole new meaning to ready to eat.

The Connect IO Intelligent Oven, manufacured by TMIO, is not a gadget or a gimmick. (They're not playing around here.) The Connect IO has NASA-based engineering involved that has allowed it to rise above its' competitors.

High Tech = High Price

You'll pay through the nose for all of that engineering, though. Read more to see how much they cost and capabilities.

Continue reading: Do It All Wall Ovens

DIY: How To Replace a Toilet

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.

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How to Install Foam Gaskets to Insulate Your Electrical Outlets

One of the least expensive and easiest ways to reduce heating and cooling costs is to insulate your electrical outlets. While most people don't consider this to be a major source of energy loss, keep in mind that behind every faceplate that covers a light switch or electrical outlet is a hole in your wall. Adding a foam insulating gasket allows you to create a tight seal between the wall and the faceplate without altering the appearance of the socket.

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Manufacturing and the Environmental Impact of Bamboo Flooring

With environmental awareness growing, bamboo flooring has become a popular material for those homeowners who wish to replace their floors without using wood from old growth forests. While earlier bamboo floorings were expensive and difficult to find, newer products are inexpensive and can be found in many chain home improvement centers.

Continue reading: Sustainable Bamboo Floors

How to Install a Dimmer in an Existing Light Switch

Installing a dimmer switch to an existing light fixture can allow you to alter the mood of the room with a twist of a knob.

This small home improvement project is not only a great way to update your space, but also to gain some basic electrical know how.

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Rustic Tulip Poplar Bark Siding Outhouse

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!  

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Advantages of Using Cotton Insulation in Residential Construction

Cotton insulation is a green building material that requires less energy to produce and is far more renewable than its largest competitor: fiberglass. Even those homeowners without environmental concerns are often won over by this product that has better acoustical properties and is easier to work with than its competitors.

Cotton insulation may be made of cotton grown for the purpose of insulation or from scraps of cotton cloth or scraps of recycled cotton. Cotton insulation made from the fabric scraps from denim jeans gained prominence because of its distinctive blue color. This cotton denim insulation required that the scraps be cleaned, made into fibers, mixed with a flame retardant and rolled into batts.

Continue reading: Why Cotton Insulation?