Home Improvement Center : Performing Home Plumbing Checks

Owning a home comes with many responsibilities, and one of the most important ones is making sure your home's plumbing is in good working condition. Catching a problem early on can mean the difference between a quick simple fix and a big expensive plumbing disaster later down the road. At least once a year check for those leaks and run those faucets to make sure everything is OK and you won't have to call for a plumber. Here's a quick checklist of what to look for.

Home Improvement Center : Performing Home Plumbing Checks

First thing to do is visually inspect all of your plumbing fixtures including your kitchen sink, bath tub, shower valves, toilet, and bathroom sink. Make sure everything is properly secured and aligned, with no leaks or rust. Flush the toilet and make sure the water does not continue to run. If after 3 to 5 minutes the toilet continues to run, that may be a sign of a slow leak.

Water pressure is another issue to watch out for. Run all the faucets in your home to make sure the water runs around 30psi. If the water pressure is low, it could mean a dirty shower head or faucet, a clog, sediment buildup, or a problem with the aerator. Likewise, check all drains to make sure water drains away quickly and without any bubbling, which may require the service of a plumber.

If you feel you are up for it, your water heater should be checked as well. If it's electric, make sure all heating elements are working. If your water heater runs on gas, it's a good idea to check for rust in the burner chamber. Also, the flame should be blue. A plumber's help may be required for more advanced checks such as draining the water heater to examine the sediment level at the bottom.

Home Improvement Center : Performing Home Plumbing Checks

If you have a basement, check the pipes going through it and into the rest of your home. This includes both water and sewer pipes. As with other pipes, check for leaks, tightness, or drips. If you smell sewer odors, this could mean you have a septic problem in which case you may need to call a plumber.

If left unchecked, there could be many potential plumbing problems waiting to happen when you least expect it. However, checking everything once a year can easily help prevent future disasters and visits from a plumber. If the time comes a professional's help is needed you can rest assured that your plumber will have the experience, skills, and tools needed to solve your plumbing problems.

Home Improvement Center : Choosing the Right Water Heater Supplier

Are you in the process of shopping for water heaters? If so, the one of the most important decisions for you to make is not simply which unit to buy but from whom you should buy it. There are several factors that can make a difference when choosing the right supplier for your unit. It is important that you choose a supplier that can install the unit for you, offer you a reasonable service contract, and give you a fair price on the unit itself.

Home Improvement Center : Choosing the Right Water Heater Supplier

Home Improvement Center : Does the Supplier Provide Installation?

One of the most important things to look for when shopping for water heaters is a supplier who is willing to install the unit for you at a fair price. Most homeowners do not have the expertise to perform an installation, and it can be much more expensive to hire a different company to come to your home and perform the installation for you. This being the case, you should look for a supplier who is willing to come to your home and install your unit.

Home Improvement Center : Does the Supplier Offer a Service Contract?

Another thing to look for when shopping for water heaters is a supplier who offers a service contract. Many new units will come with a warranty, but it is a good idea to look for a supplier who offers service calls as well. If you can negotiate a service contract with your provider, this will often be much less expensive than hiring a private plumber to service your unit for you. Try to find a supplier, then, who can offer service calls after your warranty expires.

Home Improvement Center : Are you Getting a Fair Price?

Finally, and most importantly, when shopping for water heaters you should always look for someone who will give you a fair price. Do some research prior to shopping to get an idea as to what the current market value is of various models. This will help you to know whether or not your prospective supplier is charging you a fair market price for the unit you buy. You need to keep in mind, however, that a higher price can be offset by a supplier who offers low installation fees and a reasonable service contract. Therefore, it is important for you to weigh these features against one another.

All in all, there are several things to look for when shopping for water heaters. You want a supplier who can install your unit for you, offer a good service contract, and give you a fair price for the unit.

Home Improvement Center : Some Facts on Shower Panels

Shower panels provide you with the secure knowledge that the floor in your bathroom will not be damaged by water when people are bathing. Plastic curtains that are used to cover these bathing units will often be left partially opened on one end or the other and will cause damages to the floor of the bathroom.

Shower panels can also reduce the amount of condensation that is caused from the steam escaping from the unit. The condensation can form on surface areas like the mirror and on tile floors causing them to become slick and hazardous. Reducing the formation of condensation in the bathroom can reduce the number of serious injuries that are caused by slips and falls in this room.

Home Improvement Center : Some Facts on Shower Panels

Shower panels can be made from different thicknesses of glass. You can get these items in 3/8" thick panes or in ½" panes. The glass these items are manufactured from is safety glass and is extremely hard to break.

Shower panels that are made from glass can be made from different styles of this substance. You can purchase panes that are completely crystal clear if you buy the low iron style. You can buy a clear pane that will be translucent and some of the clear panes will have somewhat of a green hue to them. There are acid etched panes that have pictures created by the acid etching. Some of these glass panes are done in patterns and some are done all over to create a somewhat smoky appearance.

You can buy shower panels that fold like the bi-fold doors do. You can buy then that are hung on hinges like regular wooden and steel doors are. You can buy some of them that are made to pivot from a bolt that is placed in the ceiling and floor of the structure. You can buy some of these items that are frameless and some that are semi-frameless. You can get these items that are designed to slide in a track like sliding closet doors do. There are many different choices that will change the look and feel of your room.

Home Improvement Center : Some Facts on Shower Panels

The sizes that these items are made in make them capable of being applied in almost all bathrooms. You can even have them custom designed to create sizes that are larger than normal or smaller than normal. These items come in many different price ranges so most people can find one that fits into their budget.

The shower panels are good choices when you are doing new construction. They are easy to install and they can be purchased in so many different sizes. They are also good for people who are doing remodeling of their bathroom. These items are easily incorporated into existing designs. They can be placed on existing shower enclosures and they can be placed on bathtubs.

At one time there were only bathtubs. Then the shower was invented and of course with that invention the necessity for a way to stop the water from being splashed onto the floor was created. The plastic curtain was the first answer. Now we have the amazing shower panels.

Home Improvement Center : Benefits of Water Softeners

Are you tired of feeling like you can't get clean enough in the shower? Are you sick of that disgusting layer of soap scum that you find in your bathtub? If so, then one way that you might solve your problems is by shopping for water softeners. One of these units can help you in a variety of ways. They can help you to feel cleaner after your shower, they can get rid of soap scum, and they can keep your pipes from getting clogged.

Home Improvement Center : Benefits of Water Softeners

Home Improvement Center : Helps You to Feel Cleaner

Water softeners help to filter your water and remove various contaminants from it. This means that these things are not ending up on your skin while you are in the shower. This being the case, you will be able to work up a better lather with your soap, and you will feel cleaner after your shower is over. A softener will make you feel cleaner, and it will make your showers more enjoyable.

Home Improvement Center : Gets Rid of Soap Scum

Another benefit that water softeners provide is that they keep your tub and shower cleaner after it has been used. In a home that is not equipped with one, it is not uncommon for a layer of soap scum to be left behind in a tub or shower after it has been used. This is because the contaminants in the water make it impossible to wash all of the soap out of the tub, and this results in a layer of soap scum being left behind. Installing a softener in your home will help to keep your shower cleaner.

Home Improvement Center : Keeps Your Pipes Clean

Finally water softeners can help you to keep the pipes in your home clean as well. In many cases a home without this device will have chemicals such as calcium in the water. These chemicals then flow through the pipes and can leave deposits behind. These deposits eventually build up, and this makes the pipes more susceptible to blockages or, in severe cases, cracks. A softener can help you to keep your pipes clean, and this will be good for the long-term health of your pipes.

In all, there are several benefits to water softeners. They help you to get cleaner in the shower, they help you to get rid of that disgusting layer of soap scum in your tub, and they help to keep the pipes in your home in good working order.

Home Improvement Center : Tips for Deciding Between Water Heaters

Are you in the process of renovating your home or building a new one? If so, then you are probably going to be shopping for water heaters sometime in the near future. This being the case, there are several things that you should look for that will help you to make an informed decision. Be sure to look for a unit that is large enough to serve your volume needs, a unit that is energy efficient, and a unit that is set up for the correct type of utility.

Home Improvement Center : Tips for Deciding Between Water Heaters

Home Improvement Center : Can the Unit Meet Your Needs?

The first thing that you should look for when shopping for water heaters is that you are getting a unit that can service the size of your home and family. If you have a large home or a large family, then the unit's size will be important. The greater the volume that you and your family use, the larger the unit you will want to buy. The last thing you want is to have to fight the rest of your family for a warm shower. Be sure that you get a large enough unit to make the whole family happy.

Home Improvement Center : Is the Unit Energy Efficient?

When shopping for water heaters, it is also important to look for a unit that is energy efficient. If you are using large volumes, then your heater will be working very hard to keep up with your needs. You will want to look for a unit that can meet your needs without costing you a fortune in utility costs. There are several units on the market that use less energy, so you should make sure that you look at these first.

Home Improvement Center : Will the Unit Meet Your Installation Needs?

Finally, when shopping for water heaters, it is important to make sure that you are getting a unit with the correct energy supply. Be sure to check your home's energy source before you begin shopping. If you have an electric energy source, then make sure the unit you buy heats with electricity. If you have a gas-powered source, make sure you buy a unit that runs on gas. You want your unit to be compatible with your home.

In all, there are several things to look for when shopping for water heaters. You want to be sure that your unit can meet your family's volume needs, is energy efficient, and is compatible with the energy source in your home. If you can find all of these things, then you will have made a smart purchase.

Home Improvement Center : Cement Board Siding

Cement board siding is a great alternative to traditional wood clapboard siding. The most common type of cement board siding is made to simulate traditional wood clapboard. There are products that simulate shingles and other types of siding as well. The finished look is very similar wood clapboard. Unless you look fairly close and touch the material, it can be hard to distinguish. Cement board siding is a factory-made composite material; Portland Cement, wood fibers and other additives are fused together under extreme pressure. Cement board siding is considered by many experts to be a Green building material because it is extremely durable and made partially from recycled content. CertainTeed, one of the major manufacturers of cement board, claims that its siding contains 30% post industrial recycled content.

Home Improvement Center : Cement Board Siding

Another major manufacturer of cement board siding is the James Hardie Company and their product that simulates clapboard is known as HardiePlank. HardiePlank has become term that most builders use for cement board siding. I used HardiePlank on an addition to my house and am slowly replacing all of my siding with it. I also used trim boards made by the James Hardie Company for the exterior window trim, soffits, fascia, mud boards and corner boards.

I am very pleased with the HardiePlank products and I am confident they will be long lasting. The boards come pre-painted and the finish is great. I have been keeping a piece of trim board lying in the mud for the past four years and the paint has not started to peel. As the old asbestos siding held paint really well I think the cement board will too. When I built the addition, the cost of the cement board was a third less than cedar clapboard and there would have been the added expense of painting the cedar. Three years after my addition I re-sided another exterior wall of the house and the colors match perfectly. The major drawbacks are that since the boards only come in twelve foot lengths, there are more seams. My friend and contractor scarf cuts the joints, which helps and makes the seams look better than a typical butt joint. The material is very hard and it is difficult to make the joints perfect. I am certain that this siding and trim will last for generations and will not find its way to a landfill for many years to come.

Home Improvement Center : Advantage of Cement Board Siding

• Durable and dimensionally stable
• Impervious to wood boring insects
• Doesn't Rot
• Non Combustible
• Material is cheaper than conventional clapboard siding
• Can reduce the cost of homeowners insurance
• Can be cleaned with a hose
• Requires less maintenance than wood clapboard siding
• Comes Pre-painted or primed, with a factory applied baked-on paint
• Paint is less fade resistant than conventional paint
• Saves the cost & trouble of painting
• Excellent paint adherence
• HardiePlank has a 15 year warranty on their paint, the warranty covers labor as well

Home Improvement Center : Negative Aspects of Cement Board Siding

• More difficult to work with than wood clapboard
• Needs to be installed carefully for it to look its best
• All joints need to be caulked
• Shows more seems than wood siding because maximum length of the siding is 12 ft.
• Siding is brittle if it doesn't have a solid backing and pieces can be broken

Home Improvement Center : Proper Use of Generators

Everyone has experienced a power outage. In fact at one point people didn't even have electricity. These days, however, homes are run very differently. Most families don't heat with wood, and rely on electricity to warm their homes and keep their food fresh. Still, it will happen-- the dreaded power outage. So now what? Unless it's cold outside how do you keep your food cold? What will you do to cook? How will you get warm water? Bathe? Obviously we can do without. These days however we also have the option of using generators.

Home Improvement Center : Proper Use of Generators

We have all heard it humming in the neighbor's yard. They have lights and perhaps a TV flickering. Surely heat and refrigeration. You find yourself a bit jealous, but you have heard those things are dangerous. Power won't be out long. Right? Three days go by and you're swimming in your green pool to feel fresh. Maybe the neighbors are onto something. After all, over at the neighbor's house you see no evidence of a tragedy. That's because they are using it properly.

How does one use generators properly? We have all heard not to use one in the house, and that means the basement is forbidden as well, but generator sheds are a great option. Some are built with a ramp to roll it outside, others are built so all four sides open. Either option allows for plenty of ventilation. The unit doesn't need a shed of its own to function but keeping it away from windows and doors, and allowing for ventilation is important.

Home Improvement Center : Proper Use of Generators

The family next door has the television and refrigerator on, and also perhaps the freezer, furnace, air conditioner, or even the curling iron. Using generators properly, however, requires you to plug each appliance in at a time, and only what your machine can safely run. Some people run the unit to the circuit breaker. This is a mistake. You really must have a circuit dedicated to the unit, otherwise when power is restored, you are sending power back out into the lines. Even if this doesn't end in death, it can end in a power surge. There goes the television you were so eager to watch.

So to avoid replacing your electronics, use your unit properly. Be sure you have proper ventilation, that it's far enough from windows and doors, and that it is plugged in properly. Extension cords may be annoying, but in the end using them is far less trouble than replacing everything you own.