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Archive for the ‘DIY carpentry’ Category
DIY Wood Home Construction
Building with wood ? Wood construction is here to stay folks and here is only a few of the major reasons why ! Thinking about adding on ? Well you’ll be going greener if you use lumber…… read more below !!
# No other material can match wood’s unique combination of benefits, including strength, affordability, ease of use and environmental superiority.
# Wood-frame construction has a 100-year track record for safety and dependability. That’s why nine out of 10 homes today are built with wood.
# Building codes require all materials to provide the same degree of protection, even for extreme events such as earthquakes and hurricanes. Wood-frame construction is as safe, sturdy and dependable a building material as any other.
# Wood is the best insulator against heat and cold, which makes it the most energy-efficient material that can help keep home energy bills in check. Unlike steel and concrete, wood doesn’t conduct heat and cold. Wood is 400 times less heat conductive than steel, so homes built with wood studs take less energy to heat and cool.
# Wood is the most affordable building material. The economy of wood construction is one of the many reasons why wood-frame construction has remained the preferred method for residential construction.
# Wood is easy to use and widely available. Its practicality and workability make construction simple and efficient for use in residential or commercial applications, including multi-story projects.
# As the world’s only renewable building material, wood can not only be recycled, but regenerated as well. What’s more, trees provide benefits to the environment while they grow, taking in carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen.
# Wood contributes fewer greenhouse gas emissions than its non-renewable counterparts, steel and concrete. While wood accounts for 46% of all industrial raw materials worldwide, it uses a mere 4% of the energy required to produce raw materials into useful products.
Rain Gutter dilemma’s
Average homeowners throughout this world can now relax and need not to fret any longer about their rain gutters. With the expansive widths of the average fronts of our homes, my experience here lies in the fact that rain gutters cannot perform as designed. ![no push causing malice [mosquitos/ dryrot / water damage]](http://www.my-diy-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/thumbnail-23.jpg "no push causing malice [mosquitos/ dryrot / water damage]")
Water has to have a 1/4″ per foot slope to jettison the moisture to the down spout at the end, and not a sole likes to see a highly noticeable crooked rain gutter attached to the front of their homes. It appears wrong and anti symmetrical, common fascia board widths consist of 4″ to 12″ heights while, after installation causing a loss in fascia profiles when buried by drip edge flashing and shingle overhangs accentuating this dilemma.
I’m launching an all new and improved rain gutter marketing campaign that will easily and virtually correct and eliminate all of these aforementioned appearance and functionality problems. Take this opportunity now and tell me your stories of and why this may inexpensively be of service.
Napoleon Hill, Charles Hannel, Henry Ford, Tim Ferriss etc., all these great men that have changed many lives and authored books on self development, championed the fine art of mastermind groups to create change for all as well as a way to wealth through the laws of nature. “success requires no explanations, failure permits no alibis”
Pre Paint Prep with BONDO
Thats right folks the same 2 part epoxy mix that autobody shops use on cars. In SOCal where some of the new rich reside is also 
where some of the best professional house painting occurs. Magazine model material, custom multi-million dollar homes with the same home improvement center paints the rest of us buy and use on our biggest investments in our IRA plans, the biggest d
ifference though is the prep work being done to create some of the finest home painting on the prestigious west coast.
I only emphasize this painting prep point, because I see the difference. Bondo or whatever brand you buy will change your homes detail of paint grade finish like night and day. Case and base nail holes, vacuum dents, mars and gouges, offset splices and even some miter joints go from nice job to vavoom. Interior spackling never really can give you that it truly is “all one piece look” but bondo does and does not shrink.
Avoiding water Damage
The incredible thing about water and the world is there can be nothing in existence without it. Perhaps all my readers certainly understand this concept, unlike when traping water and the damage it will surely cause over any amount of time. The average home annual upkeep is approximately $2,100 U.S. with weekly or monthly service accounts included. The longer that i have facilitated products and fabrication of home repairs / home maintenance / remodels / and additions etc., the further my conclusions have generated the simple fact that water needs an out. As this element evaporates and emits the gases needed while drying, my team and i have seen it move 1000’s of pounds of cement, hardwood flooring, and stucco IE., to completely disintegrate and destroy almost any type of building material[s].![retaining wall french drain [A WATER CAN GET OUT SYSTEM]](http://www.my-diy-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/cimg0135-768x1024.jpg "retaining wall french drain [A WATER CAN GET OUT SYSTEM]")
The image here will allow the reader a little insight to this building to avoid water damage idea, this is a 4″ french drain designed to catch normal water runoff and push it to the downhill side of the 8″ block retaining wall, it is actually sitting atop the highest part of the lower footing [ not dirt ] and will filter through and out to the natural grade.
Fascia board replacement [drip-edge metal]
To fully understand how to protect the biggest investment in your portfolio’s, the curb appeal that will allow all viewers to smile upon approaching, is the front elevation of the house. Damage caused to the fascia board, often is coming from the top of the roof and not dripping free to the ground or into the rain gutter. 
The illustration here shows how moisture from the roof line is able to fall from above and drip clear and free from the roofs eave, this will absolutely give your home a much longer life span, lower maintenance up keep per a better built fascia board / roof edge metal assemblage.
When the water falls free and does not soak into your hard work on a daily basis, keeping termites farther away and giving you more time to spend doing the things you love.
How To Update by Removing the Popcorn
Change is good and changing a rooms overall look is even better. Popcorn ceilings [acoustic] are old and out dated, in large part it was an inexpensive way to avoid the finish mud process of drywall work. By removing the popcorn acoustic ceiling mask in your real estate purchase, this will bring so much needed lift and clean appearance to the home, that you wished you would have made it the very first home improvement venture. Take a few pictures of before and after so all can see what it used to look like.
Step #1: remove contents of room Step#2: plastic tarp off entire room Step#3: Get a 6″ putty knife / vacuum / plastic trash bags / goggles and mask / fine spay bottle [optional] / step ladder Step#4: at the correct angle gently dig into the popcorn surface, as to not gouge at the drywall’s, try this in several different directions as well as strength of pressure, until complete Step #5: with a damp sponge wipe clean until noticeably you see the effects of a finish product Step #6: repair any maladies with drywall mud until suffice then sand Step #7: prime entire ceiling 2 coats, now paint with your favorite color!!
Don’t forget the after photos before you crack that cold one and sit back to enjoy the fruits of your labor, GOOD JOB!
diy how to handle 90lb bags of concrete mix
When there is a will there is always a way for the DIY’er. Concrete mix [redi-mix] bags are sold in 90 lb bags, and there are like move your sleeping 13 year old, but with no handles. If you have a few bags to mix for that patio slab for instance, there is a great technique to facilitate this chore. Diy home improvements for your real estate portfolios. The object to save your back and ease the dumping process. All these types of jobs needs you to get the mix into your choice of mixing bin. IE, wheelbarrow/ electric mixer / bucket or whatever?
[A] 
The first step is to set and lay the bag of mix flat over a short piece of rebar, where the center of the bag will fold as you lift upwards on the rebar.[B] take a utility knife and cut the bag across the width [C] Now as you lift the rebar or halfing tool, the cement, ceramic tile grout or bag of mix, will split into half with the sides standing. The open tops set upright waiting for you to grab and dump into your mixing apparatus. The beauty lies in the fact that for an extra minute of work you’ll be able to continue this fun chore the whole entire day.
Rebuilding Haiti
It’s been 24 hrs since i have reached out to Mr Scott Kraft, a Los Angeles times media reporter. My message was very clear and to the point, in that i wish to donate 100% of the commission proceeds for 1 month, starting yesterday. I expect for him to publish our story and return my phone call and e-message tonight, we want to put a little pressure on all of our E-store affiliates IE., Sears.com/ Amazon.com and Home Depot.com, when they meet our challenge of charitable contributions and building supplies as well as energy efficient lighting fixtures and plumbing supplies.
The building codes are questionable at best but that will not stop the masses from any further advancements. We will build a better tomorrow for the people of Haiti and their families, that have suffered long enough. Our vision here at My-DIY.net is for a brighter future in all the world, pull soldiers from the middle east and put soldiers to work on an island that right now is far worse off than any war zone Mr Obama, let us help each other in this world and end the chaos today.
Stand tall you masses and understand how critical a place these Haitians are in at this very moment, tell a friend/coworker/family member about this action that requires all of us to rise above and shout ” WE CAN DO THIS”. Climb on board with that donation and help make a difference today.
Haitian Relief [proposal]
Good evening world. As we can all sit back in the comfort of our homes tonight, there are many out there that have not been quite as fortunate. But my vision and beliefs are that we all can do something to aide those in need. I just left a message for Scott Kraft of the LosAngeles Times news paper, asking him to help circulate our story. Me here, on this world exposed blog, am offering 100% of the affiliate marketing proceeds as a charitable contribution. All of the purchases staring at 7:30 pm pst will be going towards a lump sum dollar amount to the people in dire straights of Haiti. The catastrophic events of the 7.0 earthquake that tore down this place nearly 2 weeks ago has many children and their families literally upside down.
Any of us that want to help, can and will by using anyone of many E-stores via here on this blog site or at MY-DIY.net. When enough of us pitch in we are able to give back a little bit to help make a difference. From Home Depot / Amazon / Bestbuy / Commission Junction or Ebay all of which are my affiliates. I am also asking that everyone of those mentioned here and now stand up and meet us with our purchase power. If Home Depot / Amazon.com / Bestbuy.com / Commission Junction or Ebay.com can hear us roar, they will hear loud and clear that this is a challenge. That’s right, we are calling them to the mat for a no holds barred bout of matching the funds and or materials to donate.
Not only will this be of great service, the 2009 tax benefits can be of credit for all of our next filings on april 15. Lets create a better avenue of building services and appliances. I expect that Mr Kraft will help us with the broader publishing efforts involved but email this to as many friends as possible and lets start today by making a grander difference in this life.
Sincerely,
Craig E. president
MY-DIY.net and MY-DIY-BLOG.com
WESTERN EAVE DEMO
When 1×6 ship-lap pine starter board has been used for the exposed end of your roofs overhang eave’s, often these get water damaged over time and require removing and replacing, along with the fascia board section. Termites are lazy by nature and will go after the moist, wet [weathered] areas first. In often cases the 2x fascia boards take the worst of this because of the bogus or lack of proper metal drip edge flashing, or applied incorrectly. If the drip edge roof metal flashing is tight against the fascia board, then the moisture from rain and damp nights cannot drip free to the ground or into the rain gutter. This causes the wooden eave to absorb the moisture and start the water damage process of ill effects and termite nesting.
Tools needed to begin the repairs include an electric reciprocating saw, prybar, hammer and a good exterior paint primer. Cut back to the next roof tail rafter on either end and remove fascia board. Raise any roofing materials for access to the exposed eave starter sheathing. The Sawzall with a 12″ blade can aide your reach here for the other required cuts needed. When and if the drip edge metal is in your way, take a pair of sheet metal snips and cut this flashing back. A thorough inspection of the 30lb felt roofing paper is very important and any nail holes need to be patched in the felt paper before this has been completed. Once you have matched the cuts for any replacement fascia board, starter board etc., back primer all new and old cuts and parts you will be installing. Give Amazon a few days on your orders or purchase and print your receipt for your quicker trip to any home improvements depots in your area. Don’t forget those safety goggle’s!