Painting Over Water Damage
Time for some spring fix up around the home. If you were one of the unlucky, and received some water damage over the winter from melting snow and ice, then now is a great time take care of it. First, make sure you’ve corrected the problem that caused the leak, either a bad roof, or not enough insulation causing an ice dam.
Lumber Sizes and Dimensions
Standard lumber usually comes in lengths sized at: 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, and 24 feet.
Actual lumber dimensions.
| Named Size | Actual Size | Named Size | Actual Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 × 2 | ¾" × 1½" (19×38 mm) | 2 × 2 | 1½" × 1½" (38×38 mm) |
| 1 × 3 | ¾" × 2½" (19×64 mm) | 2 × 3 | 1½" × 2½" (38×64 mm) |
| 1 × 4 | ¾" × 3½" (19×89 mm) | 2 × 4 | 1½" × 3½" (38×89 mm) |
| 1 × 6 | ¾" × 5½" (19×140 mm) | 2 × 6 | 1½" × 5½" (38×140 mm) |
My New Home is Finished - Now What?
Your new custom home is now completed. The months of anticipation and sometimes stress is about to come to a close. You are excited to get moved in and start living your life in your new house. Here are a few things to remember to do.
- Final walk through. Complete a final walk through with your builder before you move a single item into the home. Take your time and visit every square inch of the home. Be sure everything was completed as specified. If you do find problems, be sure you and your builder jot them down for reference. They may need to be fixed before you move in, but some items can wait until later if need be. Also remember, that no home will be 100% perfect, expect a few problems here in there, especially in the first 3-6 months in your home.
Preventing Ice Dams
Winter time brings snow and cold, but it also brings something else for many folks - ICE DAMS. The best way to deal with ice dams is to try to stop them before they form.
If you know your home usually forms ice dams, the best thing to do is to get a roof rake. As soon as you get more than a few inches of snow, simply scrape the snow off the end of your roof. Doing this should really help to cut down on the formation of ice dams.
Picking out Lumber
You are all set for your weekend project. You have all your plans ready, now time for a trip to the lumber yard to pick up the wood you need for your project. A project will proceed much easier if you have good lumber to work with. Here is a few quick tips on picking out good pieces of lumber.
- Arrive early. If you get to the lumber yard late in the day, sometimes all the good boards are picked over and the lumber pile is even a mess from everyone looking through them.
4 Fast Steps to Finish Your Basement on a Budget
Add Space to your home on a budget by finishing your basement.
- Clean it up. Sounds simple, but this can make a huge difference. Most basements become a dumping ground for everything that doesn’t have a place. Something you don’t quite want to throw away, so you hang on to it and stick it into the basement. Clean it out, bring the items to your local thrift store (like Goodwill). Once the space is cleaned up you will be amazed and the ideas will start to flow already.
Winter Time Indoor Sewer Smell
It’s winter time, you have a lot of snow on the ground on the roof, plus it has been cold. Now you are beginning to notice a bad sewer like smell in side the house. What is happening? Most likely you plumbing roof vent has been plugged up with snow and ice. If you can see the pipe clearly from the ground, you may be able to see a little bit of snow on the top of the pipe. If you view the picture closely you can see a bit of snow poking out of the top of the pipe. Find a safe way to get up on your roof and simply clear the pipe of snow. Again, be very careful if you go up on your roof in the snow with a ladder.