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We got the call to remodel a fireplace, hearth and full wrap mantle. Unique in many ways, this full wrap fireplace mantle would have a pair of arched recessed panels in the center below the crown top sitting above the columns on both sides of the fire box.
No exotic wood species here though, my clients wanted it painted white. So we built her out of 3/4″ MDF [multi-density-fiberboard] with some various El & El moldings to create something extraordinary!
Any above average painter can fau out this resin flex molding too, so even all the real wood lovers can enjoy a radius molding appearance without the extra shop tools and mind bending , wood bending tasks. Whatever the type of molding you are using, IE., baseboards, casings or even a 5 1/2″ crown molding , then the flex mold can bend – curve or wrap around to meet up with any other common or custom molding your using.
MDF full wrap mantle with Flex Moulding
Underneath the arch , a piece of flat stock was implemented to return and butt into the face of the travertine stone that was used on the wall and hearth areas of this fire place.
This resin pour custom flex mold is highly pliable and very much paintable or stained. Acts like wood when cutting – nailing – sanding or glueing , for any DIY ‘er thats ready to make a difference!My-diy.net
Flexible flat stock to aide in the return
Why call the guy? When YOU can DIY!!
Trex Nightmare: Having had over $3,500.00 worth of Trex Decking installed. The material bought in Feb. 2005, for my front deck, is deteriorating. Not mold or mildew but flaking off of surface. This deck has had only rain water. Trex sent two people to evaluate my problem and their report to Trex resulted in them offering me $380.84 for replacing 220 lin ft. of decking.???
The story continues:
My quote for this replacement material amounted to $647.44. It will cost me another $400.00 in labor to dismantle and reinstall.—My back deck , installed late in 2005, has so far, shown problems on only 2 boards, 20 ft. long.—The problem starts with bubbling and then completely deteriorates by flaking off of surface material.–This was obviously a bad run of material, as several other decks of same time period have had exactly the same problem.Trex manufactures claim “to make it right” said they have been good about replacing the material but in my case they do not want to replace this much material. I have heard nothing from them since refusing their offer. Their warranty on their product is 25 yrs.–They want me to accept half price of material, do all the labor myself and sign a full and final release for all of my Trex decking. I bought 1540 lin. ft @Approx. $2.20 per ft. when doing my decks. The same material is now $2.60 per lin.ft.–
That story tells the truth about composite decking material, although it can be worked (drilled-notched-sawed) much like lumber, it is man made and this particular batch end up imploding itself. Internal mold issues caused premature delamination and forced a class action suite against TREX. I believe in lumber, built right the first time and looks and feels natural a redwood deck is the way to go.
If you plan on DIY decking in your future, weigh the difference and consider your geographical location. East coast vs. West coast IE., but either way it turns out, you will have improved to curb appeal of your home and will most likely recoup any out of pocket expense (ROI) from that home improvement. Here @ MY-DIY ……….Done Right the first Time!
Requests come in all the time when surrounded by creative individuals. And this was going to be a pricey one, commodities always fluctuate in cost and ever changing with supply and demand needs. Copper pipe is on the up-tick of late, but I put a holding 30 day quote prior to install and got a local plumbing supply company to commit to $6.12 per foot, 1-1/2″ …. 1/8″ walled copper plumbing tubing. Our usage for this copper tubing, in such, was for fence and redwood deck railing.
The spacing needed to suffice local codes and also required a rather tricky custom fastening collar attachment with like metal screws to be compatible [ no electrolysis] and endure the harsh coastal climate on the west coast. With 6×6 posts carrying all burden, sealed with an oil base primer before inserting into our posts holes, and a 2×8 rough douglas fir cap, we obtain a unique and stylish alternative to the common everyday barrier. We used a fine hand saw on some of the finish cuts for noise is often an issue in gated communities. 
The custom collars had to have a base silver solder braised to an 1-1/2″ coupler and predrilled for our screws. We installed these after layout by using a Vix bit to relieve the extra stress on our fasteners and keep a clean machine like finish to the phillip’s heads. Our client became ecstatic when arriving home and seeing the finished product, while her real estate portfolio knowingly greatly improved by adding an outrageously avant-garde curb appeal.
Crown moulding is one of the lowest cost additions you can make to a home that has possibly the greatest impact and highest return on investment. The addition of decorative moulding enables you to transform any ordinary living space bringing it a new life, charm and elegance. The installation of crown moulding can certainly be a do it yourself type of improvement. However, if you’ve decided to take on your own crown moulding installation project there are some guides you should follow to make your job run smoother and avoid material waste.
First, find out what you need for materials.
You will need to determine what type of moulding and how much of it you will need to buy. You will need to measure and mark your walls for the best estimate on materials. Measure each individual wall and round up to the next foot. If any of your walls measure within a few inches of a length of moulding always buy the next size up just to be on the safe side.
Second – create a plan of attack.
We will be installing each piece of moulding in an ordered sequence, so we should do a quick sketch of the room, top view, as if we were looking down to see which wall we start with. Let’s make this a bit easier and start with the wall opposite the door and then number each wall going counterclockwise.
Let’s also set up our guides for installation on the walls. Hold a piece of moulding at each inside and outside corner to mark the position of the bottom edge. Use a chalk line stretched between the two opposite ends to mark the wall for your installation line. Also, locate and mark the position of studs and joists just below the installation line.
Third – install the first length.
Measure your starting wall and cut the first piece of moulding square at both ends using a miter saw. Then align the piece of moulding with your installation line and begin nailing 8d finish nails working from the center out. Make sure that your nails are centered in the moulding between top and bottom.
Fourth – cutting an inside corner joint.
For inside cuts we use a coped cut to ensure that the face of the moulding joins properly. Place the moulding on the saw with the ceiling edge against the table and the bottom edge against the saw fence. Make sure that the saw is set to a 45 degree angle. If you are coping a left side corner swing the saw to the left and right for the right side. You are doing it correctly if the long edge of the moulding is on the back.
To make sure that we will have a joint that fits tightly we will now cope the inside corner joint. Mark the face of the moulding with a pen on the very edge of the miter cut. Set your coping saw at a 5 degree angle and use the pen marked edge as your guide. Hold the piece in place on the wall to make sure your fit is tight.
Note: Before moving to the next step check to see what type of cut the other end of your moulding needs. If it is another inside corner take a measurement from the top edge of the number 1 piece that you have already installed to this corner. Mark the length of this measurement on your coped moulding and use your miter saw to make a square cut. You can now nail up that piece of moulding.
Fifth – cutting an outside corner joint.
To determine the length of your moulding piece if it ends on an outside corner cut two scrap pieces of moulding at opposite 45 degree angles. Join these pieces together and hold them in place at your outside corner. We can now take a measurement from the top edge of your installed starting piece to the edge of the corner piece you are holding in place. Use that length to cut your coped piece of moulding.
Sixth – The installation process
If the opposite end of your next piece of moulding ends on an inside that does not require a coped end, repeat the measuring and cutting you just did in order to but the outside corner joining end. Then measure and cut the opposite end to but the squared end against the wall. If the opposite end of your next piece of moulding does end in a corner that requires a coped cut repeat step four and complete your outside corner.
Lastly, you will work your way around the room in this same way. Cope your inside corners and miter your outside corners. Check your measurements and make your cuts. If you run into problems like excessively uneven walls, ceilings or ceiling heights due to your house settling or shifting consult a professional to avoid any unnecessary cost and aggravation.
With defaults continuing to mount and declining property values still widespread, the industry is seeing an increase in short sales. Such transactions are expected to burgeon even further now that the federal government has implemented its Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives (HAFA) program. With the new policies and still-precarious market conditions, short sales are gaining in popularity among lenders and distressed homeowners alike, but as with any modus operandi that rapidly picks up steam, this proliferation can open the gate for fraudulent activity. Experts say one area of the short sale process particularly vulnerable to fraud is property valuation. Bank-owned fraud attributed directly to schemes involving short sales and REO inventories has increased by 40 percent over the past year and has more than doubled from two years ago, according to market data from the California-based risk mitigation firm Interthinx.
Will you know the first step in helping others out of a bad place, start today by investing in your community and earn a very large income, for doing just this. Today can be the start of a great opportunity, when you apply yourself in obtaining knowledge in DIY REO Short Sales!
Here is a stucco no, no! In this photo, the simple project of combining a stair stepped yard border line, the walkway below the cedar 1×6 dog eared fence is poured in place and has the treated 4×4 fence post’s set during that concrete placement.
The public sidewalk was poured on the graded slope so 2 elevations are the challenge. Stucco exterior finish was the call at all the concrete below the fencing, the proper approach would have avoided this problem, cement materials cannot adhere to wood for any length of time, but the answer is adding some stucco lathe screen or wire fastened to the post to allow the stucco brown coat some tooth to grab and hang onto for life!
This property is located in Redondo Beach CA, where the homes median price range is over $700 k, and 10 years ago even in this current market the ROI has more than doubled. Location, location, location kids, but the name of the game is real estate anywhere has proven to beat any stock market over time…
In our busy lives of living, we all tend to accumulate too much stuff. Therefore storage is always a premium, and storing seasonal items or momentos or whatever we tend to deem, savable things, there is typically not enough usable space to go around. But in most instances under our staircases there is several extra square feet of area to convert into usable space.
![staircase [bookcase] storage](http://www.my-diy-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/thumbnail-21.jpg "staircase [bookcase] storage")
Be creative and succeed in utilizing the space that otherwise tends to go unused, storing and organizing cubicles make more cent’s than anything for the cost involed per the square foot price you will spend on your annual property taxes. A set of full height pullouts that will hide as well as allow easy access of almost any items you can dream of. The return on investment can prove to be advantageous too.
Many builders know how their clients are constantly asking about cabinet storage, well here is the DIY warrior’s greatest tool. The ability to think outside of the box!! And diy your way into the new rich lifestyle of real estate investing that has you thinking away instead of rotting away in front of the boob tube……
After contact has been established the home owner will have to hand write a “hardship letter” to the mortgage servicer. At this point in time it will be the first chance of getting an idea of what the condition of the home is in. Therefore the time to make the necessary mental judgement’s for any rehab or diy home improvements deemed your ROI, the lender will be best suited for you to hand over an estimate of repairs, included in the pre foreclosure package submitted to the loss mitigation department.
Depending on your team member, the Realtor can aide with a CMA, this will set the bar as to what your exit strategy will be and help you decide, whether or not a new ceramic tile kitchen floor will be applicable or just as well replacing the shabby existing linoleum flooring that needs attention.
In a short sale transaction, the lender has to verify the negotiated price before the completion of any contract signing. Perhaps there is a lot of red tape to push through, but this one will make or break any offer you have submitted to the mortgage granter. So many of the lenders BPO agents are super swamped with daily lists of defaulted homes to review, that likely they are more than convinced a ” drive by” appraisal will suffice. 
Stay cool and play your hand right, because the ability to influence the BPO will behoove all parties involved. The owners need help out of a dire time, and you may have that trump card, that can enable a justifiable reduction in value to solve this economic environments foreseeable future. Learn more today.
Extensive water damage from an upstairs bathroom could just be the ace in the hole, and with a “drive by” agent never understanding the true circumstances that have justified your offer.
Whatever may be in disrepair around your home will eventually need quite a bit more attention as time elapses. Does your rain gutter hold water from 2 weeks ago when it last rained? As much as we would love to ignore this fact, what you may not realize that the nearest seam is breaking down and starting to leak, could be a small drip straight to the front porch or it might just be working its way through the fascia board and rotting away at the roof’s eave or a few rafter tails. Hence causing more dry rot and or concrete water damage than the earlier quick minor repair, sealing the rain gutter.
Procrastination isn’t the name of the game if we really ever want to get anywhere folks, a buck ahead for that proverbial rainy day and or as Napoleon Hill once wrote “money conscious or poverty conscious” which way is your mind taking you? Another marketing genius and extremely successful self made entrepreneur, is Jeffrey Combs and his whole mantra is about already being instead of waiting to be, it all begins at that perception of ” somethings else that needs to be done as a home improvement project” when it should be thought of as ” protecting the biggest investment in your portfolio”. See you at the new rich extravaganza !!