Concrete Prices - Concrete driveways and sidewalks will sometimes crack due to a number of reasons. Water getting under the surface, heavy loads being move over the structure that it was not designed to handle, etc. Repair is not too difficult and should be performed as soon as possible to prevent further damage.

Cracks in Sidewalks

Enlarge the crack along its entire length with a cold chisel and hammer. Use gloves and eye protection! Make the crack wider at the bottom than at the top, a process known as undercutting. It helps to bond the new concrete with the older concrete. After the crack has been thoroughly undercut, remove all loose material and brush the area with a wire brush.

The new concrete patch will hold better if a concrete adhesive is used first. This will both assist with bonding and prevent old concrete from absorbing moisture from the newly installed patch. Brush the adhesive into the undercut area and allow it to dry until it becomes tacky.

Use one part Portland cement to 2 1/2 parts of fine, clean sand. Heavier concrete patch jobs call for one part of Portland cement to two parts of sand and three parts of gravel. Building supply centers sell pre-mixed concrete for this type of job. All you add is water and it makes things much easier than buying and mixing the ingredients yourself.

Carpet Cleaner - Carpet is one of those home items that's generally taken for granted. Most homes built today have carpet in the majority of rooms. Homeowners don't usually pay much attention to their carpet until it's worn and time for replacement. Then the choices of material and pile type can be very confusing.

Carpets are made by pulling loops of yarn through a tough backing. These loops are often cut to create the carpet's pile. The most durable synthetic carpeting material is nylon. It wears well and is quite stain resistant.

The list of synthetic fibers can be confusing because manufacturers often call them by proprietary names. Still, all synthetics fall into four generic categories: nylon, olefin, acrylic, and polyester.

Nylon - The majority of carpet fibers are made of nylon. Nylon fibers are resilient, survive the weight of furniture, and hold up well in heavily trafficked areas. Nylon is available in a vast array of colors, and solution-dyed types are colorfast. Nylon carpets can be found in a wide variety of wear ratings and price ranges. This is generally the best choice of carpet fiber for the home.

Olefin - Also known as polypropylene, olefin is another popular choice for carpet. It is easy to clean, strong, and resists stains and wear. Olefin is used mostly in Berbers and commercial carpets. Color is added before the material is turned into fiber, making it colorfast. Olefin carpet is comparable in price to nylon.

Cedar Lap Siding - If you are applying stain to cedar siding, the surface must be very carefully prepared. Any imperfection will be magnified because stain is transparent. Take your time during this stage to obtain a professional looking job.

New Cedar Siding

New cedar siding should be protected from the weather at all times. Don’t leave the siding exposed to the elements - get the finish on as soon as possible. It is usually not necessary to perform extensive surface preparation as long as the siding has not weathered for more than two weeks and is clean and dry. Any contamination, such as dirt, oil, and other foreign substances, must be removed.

For smooth, flat-grained cedar, some surface preparation may be needed. The surface should be lightly scuffed with 50-60 grit sandpaper. This will greatly increase the performance of the finish and will not detract from a smooth look. Surface preparation is not necessary for textured cedar.

Weathered Cedar Siding

Weathered siding that has been exposed to the elements for longer than 2 weeks may have a degraded surface that is unsuitable for staining or painting. Prepare the surface by sanding, brushing, and washing before applying the finish.

Wood Stove - Wood stoves add a nice touch to your living area. Since the stove is completely exposed to surrounding air, most of the heat is radiated into the room. When the snow is falling and temps hover just below zero, we light our stove and dim the lights. It's very relaxing to watch the flames dancing around through the glass door. It also keeps the furnace from coming on and that saves some money on heating bills.

Wood stoves require regular maintenance in order to remain efficient and safe. Creosote (black flammable tar deposited from wood smoke) builds up inside your chimney and must be removed to prevent a chimney fire. Ashes have to be cleaned out of the firebox and disposed of properly.

Clean chimneys at least once a year. This tends to be a messy job, so it's best to call a professional chimney sweep. The creosote is removed with stiff brushes designed for the purpose. This will allow your wood stove to continue operating efficiently and also prevent a fire hazard.

Circuit Breaker Keeps Tripping - The purpose of this article is to explain one of the most important safety devices in your home - the circuit breaker. This often ignored device is extremely important for the prevention of fire and electrocution. While it is possible for the average homeowner to perform basic troubleshooting, you should always hire a licensed electrician to make repairs or upgrades.

Located inside your home is a circuit breaker box or panel that contains circuit breakers. Some homes have more than one panel. There may be a main panel plus one or more sub-panels in other locations.

There will usually be a large main breaker at the top of the panel with a high rating. The breakers for your branch circuits are physically smaller and have a lower amp rating. Be advised that shutting off the main breaker will also shutdown the branch circuits, but there is still high voltage in the breaker panel. The main wire leads into the panel are still active, and shutting off the main breaker will not stop current flow to these main leads.

A circuit breaker provides protection for each of your circuits by stopping the flow of current if an overload occurs. When the load on a circuit becomes too great, the breaker on that circuit trips and ceases the flow of current.

Kitchen Cabinet Idea - Installing new kitchen cabinets will give a new look to an existing area. You can change the style, color, and almost anything else to create the image you are after. There are a lot of manufacturers that offer high quality products to fill most any need.

Before starting, see if your existing cabinets can be refinished or resurfaced. Sometimes, this can be done for a fraction of the cost of new units. And it's certainly less work on your part.

While you're at it, take a look around for other items that need replacement. What about those faucets and appliances? Lighting fixtures? Paint or wallpaper?

If you decide to go ahead with new cabinets, plan your job. Take measurements, make note of appliances and fixtures that have to be moved. Are you changing the color of the entire room? What about new light fixtures? How about the floor? This might be a good time to install new ceramic floor tile.

Get brochures from several cabinet companies and compare features, warranties, and prices. These will tell you what standard sizes are available, finishes, styles, materials, and hardware options. You may have to order a custom size to fit your area, but it is usually much less expensive to use standard sizes.

Draw a layout of your cabinet plans to give you an idea of how everything will line up and fit together. Make sure to include appliance and fixture locations. Check for interference with existing fixtures and lighting. If you are not going to install new light fixtures, make sure the new cabinets do not create shadows on the counter tops.

Look for interference with cabinet doors when they are opened. If you have a built-in range, will it fit the new opening? What about the exhaust fan - will you have to relocate the exhaust pipe and electrical connections?

Check the cabinet heights. If you are especially tall or short, see how far up you can comfortably reach. Many upper cabinets are designed to have an empty space between the tops and a standard height ceiling, while others will extend all the way to the ceiling.

If one of your cabinets will go over your sink or stove, make sure to allow space underneath it for working, and to attach lighting or a stove hood.

Be sure that upper cabinets line up with lower cabinets, and allow for windows and other features in the wall. Consider how you use your kitchen.

Items Needed for a Professional Job:

• Several carpenter's levels or laser levels of different lengths

• Lots of wood shims for leveling

• Clamps to hold cabinets together while you are arranging.

• Stud finder

• Counter top

• Two 2x4s or a cabinet jack

• Hinges

• Drawer pulls and door handles

• Any sinks, faucets, or other fixtures you will replace at the same time

• Paint and replacement flooring

• Caulk

• Basic power tools such as circular saw, drill, jigsaw, and screw gun

• Screws for hanging cabinets

Empty the old cabinets completely, then remove the doors and shelves before unscrewing the cabinets from the walls. Most shelves simply lift off of pegs, but some need to be unscrewed or pried off their supports.

Make certain that you support the upper cabinets as you remove the mounting screws. If the upper cabinets are a one-piece unit, you may have to separate them to avoid damaging adjacent walls.

After the old cabinets are removed, do any painting and floor work before installation begins. This would be a good time to do plumbing work if needed, assuming the pipes are exposed. See my post on how to sweat solder copper pipe if you need help with this.

Assemble the cabinets, but do not put the doors on yet. Take the time to make sure that the cabinets are assembled as securely, squarely and evenly as you can. Install upper cabinets first if possible, so that you will not need to work over the lower units.

Locate studs with a stud finder and use a level to draw a line down at their locations. Measure from the ceiling to mark the height of the cabinet brace or rail you will fasten to the studs.

Upper cabinets go first, starting at one end or in a corner. Be sure to arrange for a helper to lift and support them during installation. Follow all manufacturer instructions for installation.

Now mark the locations of your studs for the lower cabinets. Move them into place and check which cabinet sits highest. It's easier to shim the others up to this height than to shorten the tall one.

Make cutouts for plumbing, electrical, etc. Be sure these are accurate, and leave a little extra room so cabinets can be moved a little and not interfere with pipes or wiring.

Level the top of the cabinets by shimming under and behind them. Remember that you will install a counter top on the cabinets, so you want this reasonably level and all the joints flush. Also look at the appearance of the cabinet fronts and make sure those are even.

Ceramic Tile Floor Preparation - Ceramic tile is generally easy to install, and it's a great way to upgrade a kitchen or bath. In order to achieve that professional look, proper planning and prep work are the keys.

Sub-floor Preparation

The surface to be tiled must be smooth, dry, and clean. All contaminants must be removed by sanding, scraping or chipping. Any imperfections in the floor should be patched with a waterproof patching compound.

Snap chalk lines with a 90 degree intersection, preferably in the center of the room. Be patient. The more time you invest in laying out your area the better your project will go. Solve your layout questions before the adhesive is even mixed.

For best results, all tiling materials and adhesives should be at 50 to 70 degrees for 24 hours before and 48 hours after installation. Thoroughly mix the mortar with clean water to a toothpaste like consistency. It is best to only mix what can be used in 30 minutes. Stir mixture occasionally to maintain consistency. In the event the mix becomes stiff in the pail, discard and make a fresh batch.

First apply the mortar using the flat side of a trowel to promote substrate contact. Then, using a notch trowel at a 45 degree angle, spread the Mortar uniformly in a ridged pattern. Continue applying mortar in a straight pattern. Do not swirl the trowel, as this creates uneven heights in the mortar. Spread only an area that can be tiled in 10 to 15 minutes. Press tile into Mortar with a slight twisting motion. To prevent any voids or air pockets under the tile, use a small block of wood or rubber mallet and carefully tap the top of each tile to insure complete contact with mortar. Be very gentle here. You don’t want to crack or otherwise weaken the tile. Stay off the tile for 48 hours.