Are you trying to think of ways to add a little pizazz to your entryway by installing a new doorbell button? Okay...maybe not. But, if by chance you were thinking about it or you're gathering ideas like we like to do, then read on happy homeowner. Even if you're not thinking about doorbell buttons, you might think about swapping your old, boring push button for one of these far more interesting decorative ones. Whether you are looking for something modern, cool, rustic, or just … [Read more...]
One of my biggest reasons for attending home shows is to see interesting, cool homebuilding products and services, with the occasional celebrity to meet to keep things interesting. The 2011 Fall Atlanta Home Show didn't disappoint, although, I had hoped that there would be more products to wow me. A product garners a "wow" and/or a "cool" rating by meeting one, or more, of the following criteria: A better-built "mouse trap" for an old problem A new invention/patent that truly … [Read more...]
I wanted to stream Netflix movies to our new flat-panel TV. I thought I had it all figured out until I had a conversation in November 2010 with an experienced tech geek that worked in the Best Buy home theater department that suggested I go with power-line networking rather than Wi-Fi. I had already purchased the flat-panel TV with all of the needed inputs, and then some, and thought all I needed to do was buy a Blu-Ray (BD) player with built-in Wi-Fi and I would be good to go. Technically, I … [Read more...]
A couple of years ago, I attended the Go Green Expo here in Atlanta and came across a tried and true eco-friendly, outdoor rotary clothesline. It was like a breath of fresh air, for you and your clothes. Now there is a product on the homebuilding market that puts a technological twist on the simple, yet effective, clothesline. It's an indoor laundry drying cabinet made by Grimm Bros. Plastics Corp. called the BreezeDry. This is a self-contained clothes closet that is eco-friendly, … [Read more...]
The answer is a solid YES!Finding an eco-friendly countertop that also looks great is much easier to do than you might think. There are a few different types of "eco-friendly" countertop materials on the market:Terrazo (crushed stone and glass that is set in a cement or epoxy substrate and then buffed until smooth)Recycled Glass TileRe-purposed Stainless SteelRecycled Plastic (made from a variety of materials such as yogurt containers; amongst others)Wood (if sourced locally from a … [Read more...]
My 15-year-old son and I have been out Christmas shopping the past couple of weekends and had a blast. The coolest item that we came across was a home automation controller used for home theater rooms and more. More on that in a bit. We spent about 7 full hours browsing over the course of both days. Q: How many presents (for other people) did we buy, in total, on both trips? A: Absolutely zero … [Read more...]
It's that time of year when you're in search mode looking for a really nice gift for the devoted DIY'er in your life. I've tracked down 23 really cool tools that I liked and I think you will, too. I think I'll add a few to the list as the season progresses because there are birthdays to buy for throughout the year, as well.In my mind, while compiling information for this post, I've spent thousands of dollars on these cool tools and others not listed here. I'm already thinking of all of the … [Read more...]
There is a table saw (cabinet saw) on the market that is revolutionizing the industry. Why? Because it has a finger-saving technology that is amazing and ingenius. You may not have heard of it before but it is the table saw that all of those single-digit...digit shop teachers should have had all along.photo via sfslim on flickrWhen I first heard about the SawStop table saw from a friend of mine, and then watched the video of how it works (a.k.a. the hot dog test), I felt compelled to spread the … [Read more...]
Is that granite in the photo on the right? It's not. It's our old laminate countertop after we used the Giani Granite paint kit on it. I never thought we would paint countertops in our bathroom, but we did. Why? Because of 2 very good reasons: … [Read more...]
Once again, I found myself in the middle of another home building project when a small problem arose and I learned something new in the process. This time the solution to the problem was cheap and simple... electrical outlet spacers.I ran into this unforeseen problem while installing new beadboard wainscoting in our kitchen and breakfast room. The electrical outlets were recessed after I installed the wainscoting and I wasn't able to install the faceplate properly.It's a seemingly obvious … [Read more...]
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