Archive for November, 2008
Residential roofing
Is residential roofing an exciting topic? Except for roofing contractors or other residential roofing specialists, who would want to talk about residential roofing? How about home owners? One of the most important elements of a home is the roof. Therefore it’s necessary for homeowners to be up to date on the subject of residential roofing at least as far as it pertains to their own residence.
Location, location, location is often discussed as the #1 rule in real estate, it’s just as important when it comes to residential roofing. Roofing needs vary by region and include such elements as ability to withstand tree limbs, wind resistance, fire resistance, ability to withstand or to allow snow to slide off, and even color when it comes to a good looking roof for the area. Residential roofing needs are quite different in New Hampshire than they would be in Los Angeles. For those who purchase homes it’s important to understand the features and maintenance needs of the roof. For those who build homes, particularly if they serve as their own general contractor, selecting the right roof for the region is a key.
Since purchasing pre-built homes is more common, let’s examine some of the maintenance issues that are important to ensuring the best performance and longest life from the roofing system. First amongst these issues is timing. Proper maintenance should begin as soon as the roofing system is complete. Such maintenance will save money in the long run. Immediate maintenance includes inspecting the work and checking the contractor’s license, insurance, and whether all aspects of the roofing system were installed to manufacturer’s specifications or to local government guidelines.
After six months to a year the roof should be inspected for debris such as sticks, leaves, and even garbage such as aluminum cans and that debris removed. This should be repeated at least once a year. Also further ensure proper drainage by cleaning gutters at least once a year. If the residential roof can’t drain, it will develop leaks. Leaks cause a great deal of damage, including the possibility of mold that can completely destroy a home.
Pipe boot, the material at the bottom of vent and other pipes on the roof, often require replacing after only a few years. This is particularly true in states like Oklahoma that don’t require pipe jacks to be made out of long lasting lead.
Many roofers convince home owners that the entire roof needs replacing even when there’s only a tiny leak. That’s nonsense. And the best way to avoid the scam is to have the roof inspected twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. An easy way to remember to have the residential roofing inspected is to do it when the clocks spring forward and fall back.
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kitchen flooring
The kitchen is a tough area to decide on when it comes to flooring. On one hand, the flooring must remain flexible enough to support the legs and back. On the other hand, however, the flooring must be resistant to stains and a high level of foot traffic. The best flooring looks great for years without a lot of maintenance. Spills and accidents will inevitably happen on a fairly frequent basis, demanding reliability and durability from flooring that is installed in the kitchen area. To prevent serious maintenance problems and future expenses, it pays to do the research necessary to find the best flooring.
Wood flooring has long been used in the kitchen, but it can lead to high maintenance costs. Wood absorbs moisture, causing severe maintenance issues. When a wood floor absorbs too much moisture it can end up crowning or cupping, leading to a surface that must be replaced or sanded down. The only way to fix this problem is to sand it down, or to go the expensive route and replace the floor. These options are both time consuming and costly, and involve many hours as well as thousands of dollars. While a properly constructed and processed wood floor may not be as susceptible to these issues, wood flooring is definitely more likely to break down because of these problems.
More reliable options include slate and ceramic tile. Tile and slate do not suffer from water exposure, and do not suffer from warping or cracking. As fairly rigid materials, they undergo little expansion or contraction.
Slate and ceramic flooring are available in a broad range of colors and shades. Slate and ceramic flooring are very resistant to slipping, making them a safer surface to use in the kitchen as well. Hardwood flooring may be hazardous when wet, especially if it has been exposed to moisture. When using slate as a kitchen surface, purchase a product with a low gloss to keep the safety of its great traction.
Laminate flooring is a great alternative to both wood and slate. To achieve that hardwood look without the maintenance issues, laminate flooring can be a great option. Laminate flooring is easy to install, affordable, and very resistant to both water damage and stains.
Laminate flooring is also engineered to work under heavy loads and traffic. The kitchen is a high stress area for flooring, and should be given flooring that will withstand as much. Choosing the right kind of flooring will give homeowners lasting durability, with low maintenance requirements.
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Low voltage lighting
Low voltage lighting gives power and flexibility to the home decorator when installing a lighting scheme. The majority of low voltage lighting setups allow the designer the flexibility to effortlessly change lights around and create a simple customized design. When track lighting was first released around 30 years ago, it had the unfortunate drawbacks of weight, inefficiency, and bad design dragging it down. Light fixtures used in a track lighting setup were typically far too bright, and much too complicated to adjust. The track lighting of today is much different, thanks in large part to the introduction of low voltage lighting.
Low voltage lighting makes it simple to easily customize the lighting of your home without worrying about wiring or difficult installation. Low voltage lights are cheap, and can be pushed along a track rail to design the kind of lighting you desire. Fixed track lighting has several predetermined anchors at which light fixtures can be connected, allowing a large range of freedom for the designer. Free track lighting far more flexible, allowing the decorator to arrange lights along a track at any arbitrary point.
While fixed track lighting is more affordable, free track lighting delivers the best flexibility. Ambitious designers can even use curved track segments that can be joined together, creating a very free form look to the design. The latest developments have seen the introduction of what are called “bare wire” low voltage lights. A bare wire light layout allows the fixtures to be moved around easily, and because just a 12V power supply is needed, the system is entirely safe.
Some bare wire systems even include remote controls to be used, commanding separate light fixtures to move along the wire. Although bare wire systems are typically found in museums, they have become increasingly popular in home and business decoration. Affordability is a major concern when choosing products for home decoration. Fortunately, track lighting is fairly affordable, even with the free form variety. Bare wire lighting is also relatively affordable, with its use of low voltage lighting and simple construction. Low voltage lighting is the perfect solution for home design, offering both affordability and flexibility. Safe enough to install and work with without hiring expensive contractors, low voltage lighting is the solution that many home decorators have been seeking.
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Roofing materials
A variety of roofing materials, each with advantages and disadvantages, can be used to top a house. Location is an important concern when selecting materials, for example in coastal areas where hurricanes are common a sturdier material is used. In the medical world a popular phrase is “doctor heal thyself,” but in the world of homes it’s “owner know thy roof.”
A base of glass fibers covered with ceramic coated granules is fiberglass asphalt shingles. This is an inorganic shingle with a high fire rating and often a longer warranty (and life span) than other types of shingles. This shingle resists water and cracking. It also tends to resist high winds, as tested by the Underwriters Laboratories. Sounds like a winner!
Architectural shingle is an inorganic, three dimensional shingle. It is made of multiple layers which gives it a depth and thus an appearance close to wood or slate roofing. Disadvantages are weight and cost, both more than other shingles.
Roll roofing is less expensive than shingles. It can be used on roofs with shallow grades or on steeper roofs as a compliment to shingles. Most people have seen this type of roofing, most often on industrial buildings. It has a heavy felt base, saturated with asphalt, covered by a smooth or mineral surface. Easy to install, this type of material will last between 10 and 20 years.
Steel panels used in place of shingles, metal roofing, are also popular. The best steel panels are made with zinc. Like roll roofing this is most common on industrial buildings. It is durable, withstands fire, and lasts a long time.
Wood shingles are the oldest type of shingle. Cedar is the most common wood used for these shingles, but many consist of a variety of woods. These are more difficult to install than asphalt shingles. As expected wood shingles are susceptible to fire. A fire-retardant coating reduces the flammability, but does not eliminate it.
A roof has other elements in addition to the shingles. These are not shingles or tiles or total roof coverings, but nevertheless are elements of a roof. Flashing consists of strips of sheet metal or roofing material used to cover joints, to make the joints waterproof. The boot is a flashing made to fit around the base of a vent pipe. The boot is sometimes plastic. A Drip Edge is an “L” shaped, weather-resistant material placed at exposed roof edges to shed water and protect the roof’s wood parts. Felt paper, or building paper, is a sheet with a tough, fibrous base saturated with asphalt installed under shingles. Building paper helps keep water away from the wood frame under the shingles.
A great source of information on roofing materials is the Internet. The more you know the less likely you are to get wet.
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Laminate flooring
Places in which water damage and accidents occur can result in scratching or gouging in the flooring as well. Laminate flooring is a wonderful solution for water damage and durability issues. With a laminate floor, designers can have the aesthetic allure of hardwood, while dodging many of the usual problems. Laminate flooring is very resilient when it comes to moisture problems and will not absorb water. Stains are not an issue, and with prompt clean up, will cause no lasting damage at all.
Fortunately, laminate flooring is very well priced, and can be found in a large range of shades, colors, and styles.
Although carpet and hardwood are great options in many areas of the home, they are sometimes unsuited. Spaces like the kitchen, or garage, typically require a greater level of durability and resilience. Carpet is susceptible to dirt and stains, producing a dirty looking surface that may also attract odors. Hardwood offers a tougher surface than carpet, but it also falls prey to moisture. A wet hardwood eventually warps and cracks. After many years of expansion and contraction, moisture damage can really degrade the appearance of a hardwood floor.
Installation of laminate flooring is also fairly easy. When first purchasing a set of laminate flooring tiles, check each to ensure that each tile is intact. Once certain that all the tiles are in good condition, give the tiles a few days to acclimate to their new climate. There may be some contraction or expansion that occurs when the laminate flooring tiles arrive in a new setting.
Be sure to follow all manufacturer instructions that are included with the tile packaging. Specific instructions on how to glue the tiles are critical, and can affect the overall performance of the tile. It is also important to give the tile a quarter inch between wall and flooring. Although a great deal of tools isn’t required for in home installation, you may have to cut the tiles to fit around corners, fireplaces, stairs, etc. A wet tile saw would provide all the cutting power needed for laminate flooring.
Having a level surface for laying down tiles is also important. Be certain to fill any holes in the subflooring, or sand away any protruding areas that might stick up afterward.
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Malibu Lighting
Where to look for such lighting needs? Malibu Lighting provides a great selection of both indoor and outdoor lighting. Malibu Lighting specializes in outdoor lighting, manufacturing a broad range of solutions that can easily give the air of elegance and comfort that you need for your home. With a big selection of both solar and deck lighting, Malibu is a one stop shopping outlet for the entire outdoor lighting system of every home.
Lighting is an essential piece of any successful home design. Without the right lighting, even the best and most extravagantly accomodated home will look badly designed. The lighting is what sets a home apart, and creates its own unique tone. As such a crucial component of the home decorating process, lighting deserves a great deal of attention.
This is true both inside the home and outside. Indoor lighting can help create the tone, whether that tone be one of laidback entertainment, or professional business. Outdoor lighting can effectively work to make a home appear more stately and elegant.
The low voltage power system sold with Malibu Lighting products is simple to use and safe. A simple power converter hooks up to an outlet, transforming the powerful 120V output of the outlet to a safer and more managable to use 12V output. Installation is simple, and all consumers will find it easy to use and simple to do. Malibu Lighting also manufactures a range of other highly useful products for use with its lighting products. One of the most practical examples of Malibu Lighting accessories has to be the intuitive and easy to use timer that they offer. The Malibu Lighting outdoor timer is easy to set, and also includes a very handy photo sensitive setting. Consumers can either set the lights to turn on at a set time, or they may allow the timer to turn on the lights when sunlight is absent.
Malibu deck lights are sold in many fashions, with everything from jet black to gold chrome lighting. Malibu Lighting also has a large selection of solar lighting products that can realistically save consumers a large amount in utility bills. Solar lighting comes in all shapes and styles, with the panels typically very well hidden and unobtrusive overall. This allows outdoor designers to create great looking landscapes that are both beautiful and environmentally, as well as budget, friendly.
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Roofing shingles
Roofing shingles are something that most every homeowner has, but few spend enough time thinking about them. The purpose of roofing shingles are to provide a single layer solution to a leak proof top for a home or structure. Roofing shingles are generally from the bottom edge of the roof upward, with each higher row overlapping the lower row . Early shingles were made of wood and were capped at the top with a row of copper or lead sheeting. In modern shingle roofs this has been replaced by a row of roofing shingles with plastic underlay.
In the old days wood roofing shingles were considered good. But eventually asphalt and asbestos cement replaced wood as common materials. Today fiberglass based asphalt shingles are the most popular roofing shingle used in the United States. The obvious issue with wood is fire, and fire is the reason wood and paper backed shingles are used infrequently in modern construction.
Most people have seen a special type of wood shingle, but wouldn’t be able to identify it. It’s called a shake, a wooden shingle made from split logs. Shake roofs were commonly used in building log cabins, and with many wood frame homes. They’re still in use today, most commonly transported by helicopters, but it wasn’t always done that way. Before the invention of helicopters the shakes were tied into packs and transported by pack animal or even by human power. Often cut in hilly areas, they were carried down the slope with the help of a long line run from the bottom to the top. This line served as a hand hold so people carrying the shake packs wouldn’t fall.
The main difference between a shingle and a tile is flexibility. Tiles are generally made from ceramic. They’re brittle and ill suited to locations where tree limbs might impact a roof. Shingles are flexible and therefor better able to stand up to tree limbs. Wood shingles rot, while ceramic tiles don’t., but modern materials such as the asbestos base for most shingles don’t rot. Another main difference is the shape. Roofing shingles are flat, while ceramic tiles commonly have an “S” profile to allow them to interlock for strength.
Believe it or not slate is also used for roofing shingles. Because of both cleavage and grain slate can be easily split into thin sheets. Such sheets, the slate shingles, make for an rustic look for a roof. Slate roofing shingles are installed by a slater, a tradesman trained to work with slate. The same qualities that make slate excellent for roofing shingles, it is fireproof and an electric insulator, made it useful for early 20th century switchboards and relay controls on large electric motors . Imagine that, making a phone call on your roofing shingles.
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Monorail lighting
Monorail lighting has made it simpler in the past few years to achieve the perfect lighting setup at home. Designers can now create lighting without having to dedicate a great deal of money, or possess expensive tools. How does it work? Monorail lighting is marketed as a kit, including light fixtures and a set of rails, along with connectors. A convenient point fixes these rails to the ceiling or wall. The rails can be fixed at just about any angle to each other by means of the simple to handle connectors that are sold with the kit.
Lighting has always been an important part of home decoration, and recent advancements have delivered designers a greater degree of flexibility than ever. With lighting being such an important component of home and business decoration, it has always been a difficult job involving a costly installation process. The creation of track lighting made this much easier, but it still limited the flexibility of the decorator who could not afford to spend a great degree of money.
The ability to take apart and reassemble the kit, with individual rails at a unique angle, gives the designer newfound ability. This ability can be utilized to build unique solutions with great ease. Arranging monorail lighting takes only a moment, and does not curtail the flexibility of the decorator in the way that older lighting products may. It is now easy to lay out lighting in just about any design imaginable. Several manufacturers now specialize in the creation of these monorail lighting kits.
Two big names in the monorail lighting world include Arcadian Lighting and AffordableLamps. Both build a wide range of monorail lighting that is great in both homes and business. Look to pay around $250 for a nice monorail lighting product. Monorail lighting kits can be purchased in just about any style. This allows decorators to select a solution that suits their setting, and then customize it to appear the way they desire. Monorail lighting kits make customization easy at home, without the need to spend large sums of money or bring in an outside contractor to make design visions possible.
For approximately $250-$300, a decorator can have the product they need to completely restyle a home or business lighting setup. Monorail lighting can be changed horizontally and vertically with ease, and can also be used from the ceiling or mounted to the wall.
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Pergo flooring
Pergo flooring provides a broad selection of laminate flooring, with a focus on providing the warm feel of hardwood. With Pergo flooring, homeowners can have a great looking floor that won’t suffer from water damage or abrasions. Laminate flooring takes very little upkeep, and will stay looking great for many years. The latest Pergo flooring replicates all the familiar quirks of a hardwood floor. Visitors will have a hard time recognizing the floor as anything but hardwood.
In addition to its wonderful appeal and enduring aesthetics, laminate flooring is incredibly simple to lay down. With its interlocking tiles, Pergo flooring is simple enough to install without any professional assistance. The tiles are manufactured with a tongue and groove system that allows the tiles to interlock without glue or other industrial adhesives. Provided a home installer has a tile cutting tool, the installation should be very little trouble. Interlocking Pergo flooring is also friendlier to the environment, as it requires no toxic adhesives, without any of the harmful chemical adhesives that other floors possess.
Home installation is simple enough for anyone at least a little handy to accomplish, and can save a great deal of money in professional work fees. Pergo flooring is safer and healthier without the adhesives seen in many other types of flooring. Once a Pergo floor is installed, it typically lasts for many years. Worn out and damaged tiles can be easily replaced. Laminate flooring is very resistant to water damage and abrasion. A hardwood will bow and bend over time when exposed to water. Cupping and crowning results from prolonged moisture exposure. This moisture can come potentially from spills and from water wicking up from the subfloor.
Pergo flooring is a better choice than carpet as well, offering both durability and warmth that the former cannot. Carpet can end up absorbing water and food stains, making it tough to maintain. Over time, carpet can also take on unpleasant odors that are hard to eliminate. Laminate flooring keeps out these kinds of smells, remaining in great condition for many years. Carpet, by contrast, will gradually become torn and dingy. A torn or frayed carpet must inevitably be replaced entirely, whereas laminate tiles can be individually fixed.
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Roofing tools
You can’t go wrong hiring a qualified professional for a roofing project. But with a little bit of time and knowledge, and often with the help of a few friends, replacing a roof is a realistic do it yourself project. If you use the right roofing tools the job can be relatively easy. Most of the following tools can be found at the local hardware store.
Nothing beats a slate cutter for cutting slate and shingles. It cuts through most roofing materials like a hot knife through butter. Industrial versions cut 1/2” thick shingles easily. Some models have a punch to get them started, which also offers better control in the cutting process.
Shingles and refuse can be disposed of by trekking to the edge and tossing them to the ground, right? Wrong! Use a ridge bucket. These buckets are designed to hug the roof so they don’t slip even on a steep incline. It’s safer and faster to use this bucket to dispose of materials.
Use a hip runner to install ridge cap and hip ridges perfectly straight every time. Of all the roofing tools this is one the contractors always have, but do it your self enthusiasts rarely consider.
Seaming pliers are another important roofing tool. They’re for yanking shingles, especially stubborn shingles that seem to have a mind of their own intent on staying in place. Seaming pliers have teeth to grip the shingle without tearing it. Add a good pair of thick work gloves to save your fingers and hands from scrapes, bruises and blisters from gripping and pulling rough shingles.
A slater’s hammer has a hammer head, as well as a small ax and a blade on the opposite side. This roofing tool can be used both for removing the old roof and installing the new roof. It’s also useful as a regular hammer and with the ax and blade for other projects besides roofing.
Most local hardware stores rent these tools as well as sell them. This way a roofing novice can use the best quality tools rather than one that’s cheaper to purchase. Keep in mind too that knowledge is a roofing tool as important as any other. Local hardware stores, as well as the Internet, are great sources of information on roofing and roofing tools. Between books they carry and staff on hand who can give you advice, they can prepare a person for every step of the roofing process.
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