Without question, the one part of your house that gets beat up every single day is your floor! Shoes, boots, heels, and cleats are just a few of the menaces that torture your flooring. Moving chairs and other furniture also add their fair share of damage. When you consider these factors, combined with damage from moisture getting on the floors from spills, stains, rain, mud, and snow days… eventually you’re going to be faced with replacing your old flooring. But what type of flooring should you put down? As a flooring installer, I have some thoughts about luxury vinyl flooring including — 1) How durable, waterproof, and scratch-proof vinyl tile and vinyl plank flooring is, 2) How to install luxury vinyl as a DIY project, 3) How to clean vinyl plank flooring, and 4) How vinyl tile & plank flooring compare to natural stone and wood flooring.
Home & Garden
Building A New House? Never Want To Move Again? A List Of Universal Design Features Your Home Needs! [Must-Haves For Aging In Place]
A list of Universal Design new home features you should consider BEFORE building or remodeling your house. Plus reasons to consider “aging in place” in the home of your dreams! I encourage you to give these Universal Design principles a lot of thought before building or remodeling your house!
Save Money By Installing Better Home Siding: The Best Low-Maintenance Energy-Efficient House Siding Options
The most energy-efficient, low-maintenance house siding options — according to a home siding expert. Here’s how to weigh your options before residing a house to improve the look, improve energy savings, and increase resale value.
Bathroom Design Tools, Standard Sizes, And Measurements For Bathroom Items
See standard Shower sizes & dimensions, Toilet sizes & space requirements, bathroom Sink spacing issues, Tub placement & sizes, and overall Bathroom Room Sizes for a full bath, small bath, half bath, and water closet / powder room. Plus, ADA bathroom requirements and online tools to save time & money designing a bathroom.
DIY Roof Inspection Tips: How To Inspect The Roof & Gutters On A New House Before You Buy It
Before you buy a new house, you need to do a roof inspection and look closely at the gutters. Here’s what you should look for now… to avoid costly repairs later!
Things You Should Know Before Converting Your Swimming Pool From Chlorine To A Salt Water System
See how a swimming pool that’s been converted to a salt water system, rather than a chlorinated system, fares after 3 years. You might be surprised! If you’re thinking of converting to a salt water swimming pool, read this first to see a list of pros & cons that you probably haven’t thought about!
Pros & Cons Of A Shower-Only Bathroom: Do You Really Need A Bathtub For Resale Purposes?
Trying to decide if you could live in a house without a tub? And if a shower-only bathroom will hurt your home’s resale value? A list of pros & cons. Plus thoughts from someone who’s been in your shoes and currently lives in a house that has a bathroom with shower only.
What Is A 2-10 Home Warranty… And Is It Worth The Cost? Here’s My Experience With A 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty
I bought a 2-10 home warranty when I bought my first (used) home… in addition to regular homeowners insurance. I definitely think a 2-10 home buyers warranty is worth the money! See how I’ve used it so far, and how much it costs.
DIY PVC Pipe Repair: See How To Fix A Broken PVC Water Pipe Yourself Using A Slip Pipe That Costs Less Than $3
Need to do some PVC pipe repair? A $2.87 slip pipe fixed my broken PVC water pipe and saved me hundreds of dollars in plumbing repair bills. If I can do it, you can too! Here’s how to fix a broken water pipe yourself using a slip pipe.
A Simple Wainscoting DIY Project: How To Build And Install Picture Frame Molding On Walls
Installing picture frame moulding or shadow box molding is easier than you might think. I did it myself… and you can too! Here are my step-by-step instructions for this simple wainscotting DIY project. It’s is a cheap project with big results.
Before You Buy Trees Online: My Experience Planting Bare Root Trees vs. Potted Trees In Containers + Why I’ll Be Buying From The ‘Fast Growing Trees’ Site Again
I wanted to buy an affordable potted tree for my backyard, so I turned to a site called Fast Growing Trees. Here’s why I’d buy trees online from them again.
Bathroom Design Tools, Standard Sizes, And Measurements For Bathroom Items
See standard Shower sizes & dimensions, Toilet sizes & space requirements, bathroom Sink spacing issues, Tub placement & sizes, and overall Bathroom Room Sizes for a full bath, small bath, half bath, and water closet / powder room. Plus, ADA bathroom requirements and online tools to save time & money designing a bathroom.
Jack And Jill Bathroom Doors Require Space
A word of advice to all DIY home builders, contractors, and home architects… be sure to make enough room so both of the Jack and Jill bathroom doors can be opened at the same time without banging into one another.
Before & After Photos Of My DIY Laundry Room Makeover With Lots Of Added Storage Space And Organization Cubbies
One of our first to-do projects in our new house was to create a happy laundry room. Yes, a laundry room which inspires one to want to “happily” do laundry. My new laundry room is 5×9.5 feet, has a great washer/dryer configuration, lots of storage for household cleaning items, a place to hang freshly laundered clothes, a big table area to fold clothes, and some music! See before & after photos + the details of how we tackled this DIY laundry room makeover.
Floratam Grass 101: See If This Pest-Resistant Variety Of St. Augustine Grass Is Right For Your Yard
Floratam grass is perfect for many homeowners in Florida, southern Texas, Louisiana, and other parts of the United States. But is it the right type of grass for YOUR yard? Here are the pros & cons of Floratam + Tips on growing a beautiful Floratam lawn — including how to mow, water, and fertilize Floratam properly.
10 Reasons You’ll Probably Want To Get A Central Vacuum System
Portable vacuum cleaners are better than ever these days, but a central vacuum system has the winning edge! See why… Here’s what I’ve learned about central vacs, including the cost and DIY installation info too.
Derek Jeter’s Tampa Mansion: Home Run or Foul Ball?
The Derek Jeter mansion in Tampa, Florida has 32,000 sq. ft. of living space. The master suite alone covers over 2,500 sq.ft.. The sprawling, eclectic English manor on the waterfront is the largest house in Tampa, by far! Here are photos and videos of Derek Jeter’s Tampa home, what it’s worth today, and a little about what the retired New York Yankees shortstop is doing today.
Thinking Of Putting A Hot Tub Inside Your House? Pros & Cons Of Indoor Hot Tub Installation
Thinking of installing an indoor hot tub? At the very least, don’t do it yourself! Although an indoor hot tub gives you more privacy and fewer maintenance issues, you have to think about mold inside, weight capacities on your flooring, and the multitude of electrical and plumbing issues that could arise. Here are the pros and cons of indoor hot tub installation.
Pros and Cons of Ceramic Coatings (Paint) For Your Home
Is there such thing as an ecofriendly permanent exterior paint? Maybe. But if you’re thinking of adding a ceramic coating to your home or using a ceramic house paint, here’s what I now know about ceramic paint that I wish I’d known sooner!
Sealing Granite Countertops 101: How To Tell If Granite Has Been Sealed, How To Remove Granite Stains, And How To Seal Granite
Wondering if you should use a granite sealer on your countertops? The short answer is: Yes! I’ll help you determine if your countertops need sealed right now or if you can wait awhile, whether to use a topical sealer or an impregnator sealer, how to seal granite countertops yourself, and how to remove stains from granite.
Where Do Granite Slabs For Countertops Come From? How Is Granite Made? I’ve Seen The Process Firsthand!
Where does granite come from? How is granite made? The process of bringing Mother Nature’s art to market is complex — and I’ve seen it firsthand. Here’s what I’ve learned about the process of mining granite slabs and preparing granite slabs for sale in stores. You’ll never look at granite kitchen countertops the same way again!
Choosing The Best Driveway Gate + Tips For Installing Driveway Gates Yourself
Considering automatic driveway gates? Here are the different types of driveway gates, materials that you can choose from, maintenance issues for each type of entry gate, and how to ultimately choose the best driveway gate for your residence.
10 Easy Steps For DIY Roll Roofing Installation
Roll roofing is the perfect material choice for the DIYer interested in tackling small roofing projects — like a shed or porch roof that has a slight sloped roof or a flat roof. I’m a true DIYer when it comes to house projects and I’ve learned a thing or two that could help with your DIY project. Here are my easy to follow step-by-step instructions for DIY rolled roofing installation.
Cork Flooring Durability & Eco-Friendliness Are This Interior Designer’s Top Reasons For Choosing Cork Floors
As an interior designer, one of my favorite materials to use inside a home is cork. Cork flooring has many advantages over other popular materials — including hardwood, tile, and concrete. Two of the biggest reasons I encourage clients to choose cork flooring are: its durability and eco-friendliness. Here are some good things to know before installing cork flooring.
Toilet Flush Ratings: Making Sense Of Maximum Performance (MaP) Toilet Ratings
Toilet flush ratings are no laughing matter. They really are important when choosing the best toilet that is energy-efficient and flushes (your business) like nobody’s business! Here’s what to look for in Maximum Performance (MaP) toilet flush ratings. I’ll explain how a MaP rating is verified and how they put toilets to the test.
