Give Your Bathroom Mirror a Makeover!

Are you ready to update to your bathroom? Does the cost of a remodel have your project on hold? Start with the basics. Your plain bathroom mirror is begging for a facelift and this inexpensive update can breathe new life into your aging space.

For years, contractors and homeowners have cut costs by installing lifeless sheet mirrors into their bathrooms. But as the focal point of this space your mirror should offer more than just a reflection. Adding a custom mirror frame can compliment and even set the tone of your bathroom decor. Combine a bathroom mirror makeover with a coat of fresh paint and new plumbing and electrical fixtures and you can update your bathroom for a fraction of the cost of a remodel.

Several suppliers offer easy to install custom mirror frames that are cut to your mirror dimensions. Simply measure your mirror, choose your look, and order your new frame. With hundreds of combinations of materials, colors, and styles, it's easy to choose the look that's right for your bathroom. Does your mirror sit on the backsplash or run right into the corner wall? Does it have ugly clips or a strip holding it up? No problem. The frames have been designed to cover clips and hide the mirror's edges.

Within a few days you will receive your custom cut mirror frame including all the accessories you need to install it in minutes. Most manufacturers use a simple installation method that attaches to the surface of your mirror using a heavy duty tape, and corner connectors. This makes it easy for anyone to install the frame using no special tools or skills. Once complete, the frame is securely adhered to the glass for a worry-free install.

Turn your bathroom into an enjoyable space that captures your unique style and compliments your home's decor. Add a custom mirror frame to your bathroom mirror to unlock its true potential as an enhancement to your living space. It's easier and much more affordable than you might think.

Cari Delille is a bathroom mirror frame expert with MirrorMate. MirrorMate sells easy to apply, custom mirror frames to makeover your existing bathroom mirror in just 20 minutes. Why settle for a bare mirror? Fully dress your decor with MirrorMate frames.

Floor Joist With Mold

Flip That House With Cheap Fixes

Perhaps you have been watching those shows that tell you how to flip that house, but you don't have the tens of thousands of dollars they seem to inevitably spend. What can you do that is fast and cheap to increase the appeal and selling price of a home? Here are six cheap fixes to give you some ideas.

1. Mailbox

While you can't get a great price with major problems, buyers will excuse minor ones if they have already fallen in love with the house. That means you better make a good first impression. The first thing they'll likely see is the mailbox. Install a new one with a few flowers around it. This will cost you less than fifty dollars.

2. Front Yard Landscaping

Another fast and cheap way to a great first impression is to clean the front yard, mow the lawn, trim the trees, throw some grass seed on any bare spots if you have time, and plant a few flowers. Neat, clean and green is the idea. Do this part yourself and you'll be surprised how far a hundred dollars can go.

3. Clean The House Outside

It is amazing how often the front of a house is dirty - even when the home is for sale. If you want to flip that house fast, make it look good! Power-wash it if necessary, and make sure there are no stains on the the front wall nor leaves hanging from the gutters. Shine up any doorknobs or other metal fixtures. This step might cost you nothing but your time, but less than $100 in any case.

4. Stage The House

A house that is empty never feels or looks quite right. Now, it's true that some people can easily imagine what their furniture will look like in those rooms, but not all of us are so good at such visualization. Make it easy on those buyers by having some tables, couches, chairs, and even a few paintings on the walls. If you really want to keep this part cheap and you have nice things at home, borrow them!

5. Use A House Inspection Checklist

It is not only embarrassing to be standing their with a buyer explaining why the toilet doesn't flush, but it is little things like that which can lose a sale. Have a list of things you would check if you were buying a home, and go through your house with it, testing everything, and looking at every room as objectively as possible. Better yet, have a good friend do this for you as though he was interested in the home.

6. Make High-Return Improvements

Repairs have to be done, but many changes are debatable. Should you replace the perfectly good but somewhat ugly carpeting? Maybe. Paint the rooms? Think of the over-all look of the house if you make a set of changes, and do your best to estimate how much they will add to the sale's price. They should add double or more what they cost.

There are often opportunities for improvements with much higher returns. A friend of mine once spent about $1,500 and increased the home's value by about $8,000. How? The basement had big windows, so he added two walls in a corner, along with a cheap paint job and a piece of carpeting to create a bedroom. If you want to flip that house for big profits with little investment in time and money, get creative and look hard for opportunities like this.

Copyright Steve Gillman. For more on how to Flip A House, go now and subscribe to the free 'Fix and Flip' course at: http://www.TipsForFlippingAHouse.com

Exterior House Painting - Homeowner Tips

Fixing up your house can be a fun and exciting time, as you decide on a new look for your home. Designing and planning home projects is both complicated and time consuming, but if done right the results are very rewarding for you and your family.

Exterior house painting is one of the quickest and most surefire ways you can change the look of your home. Painting it a different color or just mixing up the color schemes can give your house a fresh new look. Be sure to consult experts, or do your own research, when deciding on color schemes, as certain colors do not mesh well.

It is better to do this research prior to painting, so time and money is not wasted learning the hard way that certain colors clash too hard for your home. Exterior house painting is not Chinese algebra, but doing your homework never hurts.

Contractors' opinions are useful as well, as they have probably been in the business for some time and have experience with color schemes. Consulting a skilled contractor is a good idea before making a final decision on your exterior house painting choices.

Hiring a contractor is wise as well because of the time and headaches you will save while getting a professional job at the same time. Many people take home projects lightly and end up paying the price later, whether it is a monetary price or just the hassle that comes from disappointment in your decision. Taking some time for planning and design will probably help you to avoid these messes.

More information on College Works Painting exterior house painting for your home is just a click away

Ice Dams - House Remodeling Ideas

There is nothing like winter in Michigan when 12 or 14 inches of snow pile up overnight and its Saturday morning with nowhere to go. But soon there looks like an ice flow from an Antarctic glacier hanging over the edge of your house. Now you start to worry about the gutters you didn't clean last fall because the freezing temperatures came even before the leaves fell. Well good news: Full gutters do not cause ice dams!

Ice dams are caused for two reasons: Heavy snowfall and poor design, insulation and ventilation of the roof and attic of the home. When snow stacks up on the roof and temperatures remain well below freezing, the snow melts from the bottom next to your roof. The heat lost from the house through the roof causes the snow to melt and run down under the snow pack to the eves where it refreezes and starts to stack up and hang over the edge. Water will pool behind this wall of ice and eventually work its way under the shingles and leak into your attic, through your ceilings and even down the walls into the basement! During the winter your gutters are filled with snow and ice and do not drain at all. Many people experience water in the basement when we have a sudden rain in the winter before their gutters have a chance to thaw. The water runs right off the roof, over the gutters and drains down the basement walls.

Many houses were built over the years with short eves, or that portion of the roof that overhangs the wall. Some houses have no eves at all! This type of design does not allow for much soffit ventilation. Look under the eves to see if you have grates or vents installed. Generally the more you have the better. These vents let cold air get sucked into the attic by the warm air heated because of poor insulation in your attic. This air is then vented through roof can or ridge vents. Now look at the roof of your house. How many can vents do you see? A ridge vent instead looks like very thick shingles along the peak of the roof. "Can" style vents are now being thought as better than ridge vents that have been popular recently.

So here are two things you can do to lessen the impact of ice dams: First, check your attic insulation. This is not complex work but very demanding physically. You'll have to be able to crawl and scoot your way around the attic without putting your foot through the ceiling. Lay the rolled, bat or loose insulation carefully but do not block the soffit vents from the inside! Go into the attic and turn off the lights and you should be able to locate the vents by the light coming up through the grates. Wear protective clothing and a breathing mask. Second, increase the number of soffit vents under the eves. This may be a job for a contractor and is not that expensive considering the utility costs you'll save.

So OK, you'll get to that insulation and venting thing ASAP but you have water dripping trough the ceilings now. You need to act right away: First, drill or push a sharp tool through the ceiling where ever you see water stains. This will drain water into a bucket and decrease the amount of damage to the ceiling. The small hole can be patched latter and touched up with paint. Next get some calcium chloride to put on the roof. (Calcium chloride is a salt that will not damage your shingles and be easier on the plants below) Spread the calcium along the top of the ice dam concentrating it in several places to melt a "trough" to drain the water away. You can also pack panty hose with the calcium chloride and lay them across the ice dam (and no, this is not the time to make jokes about your wife's skinny legs! She's mad enough about the ceilings already)

Never go on the roof or allow anyone else to go up there; this is lunacy! Roofs are dangerous, even deadly on a warm dry day, don't take the risk! It will be a mess but throw the salt up from the ground or step ladder if necessary. Never use an ax, hammer or hatchet; this will damage the roof for sure. And never, ever use a torch! (Beyond lunacy!)

Because ice dams are caused by certain weather patterns everybody and his dog is buying snow or roof rakes after a heavy snowfall. If you are lucky enough to find one of these light-weight tools at the hardware you can rake the soft snow from the roof too. This is also a good preventive measure if it can be done soon after a snowfall.

Mother Nature will have the last word but taking action now and being prepared to deal with ice dams quickly and safely will reduce much of the damage and danger to you and your home.

Frank Kalinski is a licensed builder in the State of Michigan and has run a gutter repair service for five years. Now doing home residential rental inspection for property owners he has seen many homes and how people live in them. He sees many products and designs years after construction; some things work well and some not. Simple, basic, tried and true generally last the longest and are most economical. Please visit my new web site at http://frg-s.com/

Handyman Books

Bathroom Shower Options in New Home Plans

Just when you think you have one simple choice to make to outfit your new home, think again. Today's showers are available in a variety of shapes and sizes, and can be outfitted with amazing features to provide the most luxurious shower imaginable.

Showers can be stand-alone bathroom fixtures or be a part of a tub combo. The two main factors determining the type is you available size and budget. If space is tight, all you may be able to fit is a stand-alone shower stall. With a little extra space, and the need for somewhere to soak your stresses away, the shower/tub combo is the right choice. For those new homes equipped with plush master suites and the ranch house plans with two master bedrooms that are becoming more common, a separate stand-alone shower is ideal because there is plenty of room for a soaking tub on its own.

Showers are either found as prefabricated units or completely custom built to fit your space and style. Prefabs are best suited for standard stalls that are either square or circular units. Custom built units sometimes become necessary when those country style house plans you have been working on need something more tailored to fit any nook and cranny available in your bathroom.

No matter what style you are looking for, showers are available in a multitude of materials. The most important thing to ensure is that the material chosen is waterproof and durable. Prefabricated units are typically made of fiberglass-reinforced acrylic, plastic laminate or synthetic marble. Custom shower stalls can be created using any number of materials, including ceramic tiles, stone, marble and granite. Using these materials takes a step further in aesthetics and offers the most flexibility in size and shape. Whatever type of shower you are building, it is important to take in the entire bathroom environment to ensure a relaxing and stress-free atmosphere.

General shower stalls come equipped with grab bars and soap dishes, while upgrades can include benches and multiple showerheads. Showerheads come in a dizzying array, and can take the shower experience from standard to pure luxury. Choose from multiple pressure options, handheld (also with various pressure options), and even full body showerheads that act similar to a car wash. And, growing in popularity is the waterfall showerhead that has the feeling of a gentle rain. Additional extras that can be incorporated into your shower experience include programmable preferred temperatures, natural light, steam rooms and units and smart home technology.

It's not hard to become overwhelmed with all the decisions involved in building your new home. Do you go with a traditional ranch house plan or indulge your post modern side? But with careful consideration and proper research, your dream home - right down to every bathroom - will be a pure joy for you and your family.

Be sure to visit House Plans and More for more house plan and bathroom resources. The planning stages of that traditional ranch house plan or more updated ranch house plans with two master bedrooms can seem daunting at times. But arm yourself with information and even country style house plans will be a breeze to tackle.

Ice Dam Problems And Solutions

Building Package Tracking

What is a building package tracking and what is the use in having this system? The fast and simple answer is that most buildings need to track the route of a package to make sure that got to its destination in the shortest time, almost anyone who ever lived in an apartment building knows the feeling of having to wait for a package for a few days and starting to suspect it got lost along the way, a tracking system is set to prevent that from happening.

The idea of setting up a tracking system for packages in high rise buildings is not new, however it has been tested in many different ways and not always been proved to work well. Some of the software's required that the doorman goes through a special training to learn and understand how to work the system, something that resulted in mistakes and errors mostly because doorman's have many other tasks and can not dedicate much of their time to controlling the path of a package.

Overcoming the technical difficulties a new generation of software is simple enough to use and monitor, it does not require any particular previous knowledge and is user friendly, which means almost anyone can use it, the building package tracking is maintained at all times and does not ask for any special attention, and the tenants feel that their packages are safe and will not get lost in the mail room.

As with all the other things a property management system has to deal with multiple demands and requests at the same time and that is exactly why the modern way of managing an apartment building is by using the internet as a base for all the activity of the building, it also allows for more advanced features to be used by the residents of the building, like inter communication systems that make it possible for tenants to find out more about their neighbors and a an on line package tracking utility that they could use to spot any packages making their way to them.

The package tracking for buildings system is just one of many new things that most property management companies use today to enhance the user experience of residents, the assumption is that almost anyone living in an apartment building wants to make more of his or hers communal life, and implementing advanced tools into the layout of a building management portal means that anyone could communicate freely with the super in charge, track incoming packages, find out more about other people living in the same building and learn about how to make the most out hers or his building services.

Find out more about Building package tracking as part of a new and modern property management service, the MyBuilding systems has many more features for better property management.

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Spray Foam Insulation - Green Building Product

Thinking about taking on a green building project? If you want to build an eco-friendly building or home, take advantage of the new technology and product advancements available, that can help you conserve energy while helping the planet. Spray foam insulation is one important innovation that has numerous practical and environmental benefits.

The initial price of applying spray foam will be more expensive when compared to the traditional fiberglass alternative. Due to the nature of the product, it can only be applied by professionals, driving up the costs; however, eventually a foam insulation system will not only pay for itself, but you can even profit from it.

Spray foam insulation is liquid polyurethane that forms into a solid, foam-like substance once it hits a solid surface. The liquid state allows it to penetrate fine cracks and holes in the surface that products like fiberglass can't protect. Since the entire surface area is sealed, it is much more energy efficient than any other material available.

It keeps more warm air in during cold months, and keeps it out when it becomes hot. Your electric bill will reduce, saving you money and helping the environment. Buildings with spray foam insulation also sell at higher prices, adding value to your property.

The thick barrier that polyurethane foam creates also helps prevent sound from travelling. You won't have to worry about noisy neighbors, or disrupting anyone if you have guests over. Since it's versatile and can be sprayed on nearly any surface, you can even use it to insulate floors and ceilings. You won't have to worry about your guitar practice in the basement upsetting anyone nearby.

Spray foam insulation also discourages pests from burrowing into your home. The insulation is difficult to tear through, and it can be sprayed along cracks and openings to ensure that no uninvited guests attempt to slip inside of your home. You'll no longer have to fumigate with dangerous pesticides. It can also help keep moisture out, and is excellent for preventing mold and water damage.

In comparison to fiberglass, polyurethane is a far safer and more eco-friendly building product. Fiberglass is less energy efficient, often comes loose, needs to be replaced much sooner, and can be physically harmful. Fiberglass can cause redness and itchiness if touches bare skin.

The small fibers can also break off (which is common). As these wiry, sharp wires float in the air, they can be accidentally and unknowingly inhaled. Their sharp ends can cut the inside of the esophagus, creating scars that are thought to be a potential cause of cancer. It is often colored bright pink and, because of its unusual texture can entice children play with it, or even put it in their mouths.

On the other hand, spray foam insulation stays put. It won't fall off or disintegrate, and it's made of safe materials. You won't have to worry about dangerous particles floating through the air. It is also made from renewable and recyclable resources. Spray foam insulation not only saves energy, is more hygienic, and health friendly, but purchasing it contributes back to the economy.

Going green in the 21st century shouldn't be a hassle. Foam insulation systems save energy, keep pests out, and are made from renewable and recyclable materials. Visit Apex Foam for ways to make your home greener. http://www.apexfoam.com.

Ceiling Plumbing Leak Repair