Time for a New Toilet April 24, 2008

Another great idea that will help your bathroom sparkle this spring is replacing your toilet.

Although it is one of the most used fixtures in the bathroom, most of us never think about what makes one toilet different from another—until it is time to buy one. Toilet Models vary from very basic equipment to a truly royal flush. Believe it or not toilets are now available with features such as a heated seat and remote control. Flushing effectiveness and water conservation are an important factor for some people. They not only contribute to saving the earth but also to saving on utility bills as well. Highly efficient toilets use no more than 1.3 gallons per flush. Often time’s size is one of the most important considerations when purchasing a toilet because it is replacing and existing fixture. When looking for a new toilet here are some of your options:

Round Front vs. Elongated.

Round Front Toilets are compact to fit in small spaces. Elongated toilets have room in the front for added comfort and are often ADA compliant.

Another consideration is One Piece vs. Two Piece

Two piece toilets have a separate tank and bowl, while one piece designs have a single integrated tank and bowl designs. Two piece toilets are easier to repair while one piece is easier to clean.

Shower Power April 21, 2008

This spring, be inspired to put the sparkle back into your bathroom. The bathroom is one of the most used areas of your home, yet it is oftentimes the most neglected when it comes to décor. As your sanctuary, your bathroom deserves to look its best. Upgrading your bathroom not only provides better functionality and style but also can add significantly to the overall value of your home. Together with the kitchen, the bathroom is a place in your home that people take note of.

In the next few posts I am going to take a look at a few great projects you can do to update your bathroom. First let’s take a look at some options when installing a new shower.

A nice hot shower is one of the best ways to relax and revitalize.

There are many options when installing a new shower. The first option is a shower panel which is installed in your existing shower. It has multiple function shower heads, hand showers, and body sprays. It allows you to have a custom shower with significantly less work.

Another option is a Custom Shower System this option allows you to have various shower heads, body, sprays, and controls. This is probably the most expensive option and usually is tiled in.

The last option is a Pre Built Shower Enclosure. It will allow the shower to look new but have an easy installation. The holes are pre- drilled so it is easy to find a shower faucet that will match.

When selecting a shower there are also some other options or things to take into consideration; the first being do you have enough hot water and pressure to accommodate your shower system. If you have any questions about this we recommend seeking a plumber’s advice. There are some easy solutions available such as tankless water heaters or water booster pumps if this is an issue.

Cutting a Rug November 9, 2007

I was looking for a way to spice up my living room without doing a complete make over. My best friend suggested an area rug to me. I didn’t know much about rugs so I decided to do some research. I found out that rugs are a great way to personalize an area because they can define the character or mood of a room.  You can use a rug to provide a comfort to any room, as well as versatility. Completely flexible, rugs can be moved any where in a home to create themes , bring different elements together in a room or even divide different areas. 

 

I also found out that rugs can also provide an amount of safety to my home. If used in concordance with rug pads, a rug could help to avoid accidents on slick wet hard wood floors.  Rugs can also help with noise reduction between floors in houses or apartments. The main purpose of rug pads is to prevent your rug from slipping, bunching, or sliding around on the floor. Their are different types of rug pads available to keep your rug secure depending on what type of flooring your rug rests on. They even have rug pads for use with rugs that will placed over carpet. Rug pads have a secondary purpose of providing more cushion. Many area rugs are thin and do not provide a lot of comfort on their own.

Once I found a rug that I felt really complimented my new sofa I decided I should find out about how to keep it looking nice. The easiest way to avoid stains and dirt on your rug is to rotate it at least once a year. By rotating a rug 180 degrees it wears more evenly. This is because sunlight and traffic patterns cause uneven, noticeable fading. I also discovered that most sand and dirt can be realy abrasive to rugs. By vacuuming regularly you can easily clean the top dirt, then take the rug outside and give it a good shake, put a snap in the process to get the rug as clean as possible. You will also want to shake out your rug pad and clean the floor underneath it.
 
Speaking of rug pads, right now you can get your rug pad free with the purchase of any rug from MoreHome.com. Looks like they will be running this special till the end of the year.

Save the Garbage Disposal…Save the World? September 13, 2007

I don’t know about you but I was a huge fan last season of the NBC show Heroes…well honestly, I was confused at first by the show but then I found myself mesmorized and hooked by the Petrelli Brothers and gang. In anticipation of Season 2 starting in just a few short weeks I was doing some web surfing and stumbled across this article on CNN Money.

 

 Although, it is a little dated. I still think it brings up an interesting issue as far as how certain companies will go to safeguard their image. Insinkerator owned by Emerson Electric did not appreciate the image of a character mangling her hand in their garbage disposal. I heard of something similar that happened in response to a Sopranos episode. I see the companies point of view but I think it is sorta a doubled edged sword scenerio. After all I am talking about Insinkerator now right?

After looking up some more information about InSinkErator I learned that they sell not only garbage disposals, but hot water dispensers (hot chocolate heaven), kitchen acessories, and tankless hot water heaters (its good to be green!).

The Full Painted Picture September 11, 2007

So I will need to purchase a new dryer.  The other one finally killed itself, its time she be laid to rest anyways.  Again the band broke, and there is some other age damage on the inside that I don’t think I will be able to fix, no matter how many power drills I have. So I need to start the search for a new one.

I have a few priorities though.  First and foremost it must look nice.  That won’t be hard, there are a lot of options, and brands like Whirlpool are making washers and dryers look pretty swank. The other is priority is Energy Star.  I am a big fan of the green fad sweeping the country. 

I honestly believe it has more to do with saving money, but that is fine.  The results of this new consciousness are the same; weather you want green products because they protect the environment or because they save you cash, in the end the Earth benefits. I found out that an Energy Star washer uses less than half of the water a conventional washer does.

That in my opinion is pretty appreciable. I am also thinking of repainting my laundry room.  I want to be excited when I come in to do the laundry and I thought a coat of a deep red paint would help.  Right now I have that bland white with no decorations on the wall, its pretty dismal, not that a lot of people pass through my laundry room. I am going to get some paint samples and see.  Painting is one of those easy things you can do to revitalize a room. 

Or maybe I should just take a break after the deck.

Mosquito Net September 4, 2007

The deck is done.  I am so glad. I didn’t finish in time to entertain this weekend though.  That’s fine because a friend of mine was throwing a BBQ so I just went to hers.  I did however bring over the mosquito vacuum I bought when I got my Makita parts.  I am pleased to say that we had a lovely mosquito free evening.

The whole system is pretty ingenious. Propane is converted into warm CO2 gasses (which mosquitoes love) and a vacuum will suck in any bugs that are attracted to it.  There is no zapping noise, or pesticides to worry about.  The downside is that you have to clean out a net that has a bunch of dead skeeters in it. I just wear gloves when I have to do this, ick!

I just wanted to report that this little beast works great, and I apologize for not updating more. There will be more to come from this Hip Home!

So Close, Yet So Far. August 27, 2007

I’m sorry for the lack of recent posts.  I have been pulling out all the stops with the deck; I made a lot of progress. I am going to take more pictures once I finish, right now though I am looking at stains.  A friend of mine who is helping me on this thinks I am putting the cart before the horse, but I want to make sure I don’t have to do this again for a few decades, so the color of the wood is going to be important. Usually you have two options when it comes to decks, you can use deck paint or a stain.  Stains will work to enhance the natural beauty of your deck. I used redwood to build my deck, because it is resistant to mold and rot, so there is a lot of potential for ”natural beauty”.  If you do decide to go for paint, try to find something that is as resistant to stains as possible. Your also going to want to use oil based paint so it soaks into the wood. That soaking is key, even in stains.  Find a liquid stain, this will usually be a lighter stain, as many of the darker ones function by creating a layer on top of the wood like paint.  The problem with this approach is water, feet, and usual traffic will wear away that layer; peeling could also occur.  That is why we want a stain that will soak deep into the wood.  It will tint the wood and that coloring won’t come out.

I am planning on using a sprayer to apply the stain; it will be quick and easy to get an even coat.  Like I said, this is all way in advance, I still have the lower part of my deck to do.  It will be a week, maybe even two before I am ready to stain it.  If I do this right though, hopefully the deck won’t need to be tore up till I am long gone.

A stained deck, with a painted trim can make your deck pop.

Deck Redux August 21, 2007

So I figured I would post my progress on my deck.  I am actually very proud of it. I laid down several boards yesterday and I also fixed the foundation near a tree. I started running into problems though so I brought in a seasoned veteran, my granddad.

I told my grandpa that I had hit a snafu and he kind of coached me through it.  Several years ago I made a run at fixing the deck and several of the boards I laid down then are starting to split when I sand them or pull them up.  He let me use his drill press (a tool that drills holes squarely and accurately) to drill a hole along the side of the wood and then nailed a metal slug into them for support.  It’s a great trick, keeps the wood together, and it will clean up nicely.

Another trick he showed me was a quick fix for a stuck screw.  Have you ever had a screw where the groves on the head were stripped off? He would use a cordless Dremel to cut the cross groove in the head so a screw driver or drill can get in easier and have more support when you spin it.  That totally saved me considering some of the screws were so messed up I had to drill them out with a bit.

All in all despite these minor set backs, the whole process is coming along great.  Check below for pictures.  Look at the difference between the two boards and the foundation.

 

At Least I Can Say I “Dried” August 20, 2007

So with my deck project in full swing another project has been thrown on my plate. I came in from working on my deck with my clothes all dirty on Saturday and put a load of laundry in the washer when I noticed that my dryer was broke.  I’m not surprised.  The thing is old, really old. It was making this high pitched whining noise and when I opened the lid on the dryer it smelt like burnt rubber.  From what I hear that’s not a good smell.

So I cracked it open.  I don’t know if my appliance chose to break down because now I can fix it with my Makita drill or if the drill broke it with its presence alone.  I can only deduce that my power tool is at fault somehow and this has nothing to do with how old the dryer is. 

So I looked around and tried to see what I could find and sure enough I found the culprit. It was the belt.  It was stretched and old, it just needed a replacement.  I thought about buying a new one online.  A Whirlpool dryer is only about $900, I will see if I can eke out a few more months from Old Reliable and save the cash.  When I realized what the problem was I unscrewed the piece the held the belt in place, got a replacement from a local hardware store, and fixed it. 

I am going to have to get a new dryer.  I would just like to wait to finish with the deck project first.  I am glad I had the Makita drill around, simply because it made the little inconvenience of a broken belt hardly an inconvenience at all.

Right Tools for the Right Job August 17, 2007

“The right tools for the right job”, is one of those clichés that always seem to be true.  Granted the right tools won’t necessarily make the job right, look at Wily E. Coyote, he consistently had the right tools but didn’t fare so well.  I have tried jobs from painting all the way to repairing my shower and when I don’t have the right tools it always result in a janky project. 

I recently invested in some tools for myself.  I am a total hound for internet shopping though (as said in previous entries) and found what I needed on toolsdirect.com.  Like an ACME catalogue they had it all. I got myself a Makita drill, which I love – my grandpa always used Makita, so I am a little biased. He owned a Makita drill that lasted for about ten years, so I hold the same expectations for my new drill.  It came with a case to protect the drill when I am not using it, but now I am all ready to go with my current project. 

The project that inspired this recent purchase was my deck.  I am redoing it – I pulled up the boards from the top and saw that the foundation was all rotted and gross. I am going to have to replace the base boards (which support the deck) and that won’t be as hard as it sounds.  I am also going to sand and refinish the top of the deck so it looks brand new.  I borrowed a planer from my grandpa and I am lathing the boards then polishing them with my new Makita sander. 

I am making decent progress – stay tuned because I will attach photos of the project as I go.   I also noticed mosquito eaters on toolsdirect.com which made me think, since I’m fixing up my backyard deck, I should figure out a way to avoid the nuisance of being bit (or even the dreaded West Nile virus) so I picked up one of those, too.  I haven’t used it yet, (and unfortunately it doesn’t come in a Makita brand name) so I don’t know how well it will work, but I am excited to try it when I finish my deck.