In integrated home uses technology to make life easier by aggregating various home systems and letting you control them all via one simple user interface. Security, lighting, audio, video, climate, pool/spa and even appliances can be connected in an integrated home, offering the ultimate in convenience, control and energy savings.
When the air inside your house is too warm but the outside air is comfortable, you can use a whole-house fan to bring some of that cooler air into your living space. Ceiling fans work great to keep the air moving but in some areas of your house, such as, the kitchen and bathrooms you don’t want to use a ceiling fan. The whole house fan is installed in the ceiling just below your attic, and it’s hidden by louvers so that it won’t look out of place.
Recycling is the best way to reduce your carbon footprint in this world. If you are not able to donate a item you are able to recycle it, this is one of the best ways to help our environment and you can create your very own recycling center. This is the perfect way to dispose of your bathroom or kitchen day to day items.
Sometimes the only thing you need to do to improve the curb appeal of your home is to repaint the front door. This task doesn’t have to be complicated but it does have to be precise. To just paint the door while it is still hung could cause you to paint over the hinges or door frame leave the finished product looking sloppy or causing you to spend more time on clean up.
Have you ever longed for a swing on your porch right outside your kitchen window? Or maybe in your backyard around the fire-pit you built but think it is too complicated and you haven’t decided yet to purchase one? No fear we have you covered. These step by step instructions will walk you through setting up that swing!
If you are looking for an alternative to tile or wood flooring for your porch or lanai consider indoor-outdoor carpet, it is perfect for enclosed porches because it’s resistant to mildew and stains. It’s a much better choice than standard indoor carpet for giving your porch a finished look, and installation is easy.
To figure out how much carpet to buy, measure the length and width of your room, add 6 inches to each measurement, and multiply the two numbers. Here’s how to install it:
Cleaning comes natural to most of us, we have been cleaning a home since we were kids. Our parents had our first chores as cleaning your bedroom, then you migrated to the kitchen, bathroom and living room all in preparation for when we would get our own home. We all hated cleaning the bathroom had to spend so much time on the little things like the sinks and tub and don’t get me started on the toilet! Most of us have a routine set-up for washing our bed linens, but the same probably can’t be said for the rest of the bed.
We all take pride in our homes. While we spend thousands of dollars of remodeling our kitchen and bathrooms, choosing the exact colors of paint and floor design we sometimes let the exterior go. Our lawns are an extension of our home, our family…us so let’s spruce it up starting with the edging. If the edging is not repaired, damaged edges will continue to deteriorate, and like any bare patch, they also provide an open invitation for weeds to establish. Reseeding a damaged edge is rarely effective, so try tackling the problem using this simple technique.
Spring is in the air and that means your backyard will soon get more action! Spending time with the family and friends outdoors is one of the best ways to pass your weekend and evening. Don’t let another year pass without creating that fire pit you have always wanted.
Choose a location. Select a location that’s away from any combustibles such as bushes, sheds, low-hanging branches, etc. If you want it to be an extension of your back deck or your outdoor kitchen consider replacing the wood from the deck with tile that looks like wood. With this concept you can extend your deck add a foot path and then the same flooring around the pit.
Lay out the fire pit. Starting at the center, paint a five-foot diameter circle using a string as a compass. Tie one end of the string around the can of spray paint, then the other around a stake at the center of the pit. You’ll also need to paint a three-foot diameter circle for the actual pit, and a 12-foot diameter circle for the seating area.
Dig the footer and pour concrete. With the location laid out, dig out the footer for the inner and outer walls of the fire pit, digging between the three-foot and five-foot circles, about five to six inches deep. Following the manufacturer’s instructions, mix the fast-set concrete in a wheelbarrow and fill the ring with concrete. Make sure the top is level and smooth. Wait for the concrete to set up.
Separate your stones while you wait. While the concrete is setting, you can use that time to separate your stones into face stones, and a few for cap stones. The cap stones will be used to make the top of the fire pit wall, so keep the flat, smooth stones for the caps. The rest of the stones will make the wall.
Start laying stone. Start laying the stone in a ring, following the outer edge of the footing. Once the first complete ring is done, lay a ring of fire brick (on their edge, so they stand three-inches high) around the inner ring of the pit.
Continue the stone. Continue laying rings of stone on top of others. Continue laying courses of fire brick, as well. Keep everything level by choosing stones that fit. If they don’t fit, cut them. Try to avoid laying diagonal and vertical stones, they look bad and cause instability in the wall.
Fill the wall. Once the stone and fire brick are at the height you need, fill the void between the fire brick and stone walls using scrap stone and mortar. You’ll want the wall to be totally solid before you cap it.
Place the cap stones. Lay the cap stones on the top of the wall, laying them out in dry-stack to make certain that everything fits. Cut individual stones to fit, if necessary. Once you’ve got a good fit, mortar the stones into place.
Seating Area. For the seating area, dig out the grass in the area inside the 12-foot circle you painted, and lay down landscape cloth. Fill the area with gravel. Enjoy.
Knowing how to refinish a kitchen table is great for taking an old piece of furniture and making it look new. You don’t have to have any special equipment and you can do it in a weekend.
Choose the color of stain based on the style of the table and the wood tones in the rest of your house. The table doesn’t have to be an exact match—most homes have a variety of wood colors, so don’t stress if your stain’s color is a little off.