About Me
Hi, I'm Mel, and welcome to my site on construction! I hope you can come here to learn about a variety of construction topics and apply them to your life. But first, a disclaimer: I am not a professional. In fact, I've never even been on a construction site.
However, construction has been a huge part of my dreams since I was a little girl. I grew up in a big city and never lived in anything larger than a 2-bedroom apartment. I spent my free time designing my dream home and finding out what it would take to make that dream possible.
Now that I'm older, it's going to become a reality soon, and so I started doing some actual research. I hope this blog can help you achieve your dreams, just like it's helping me! What To Consider When Choosing Your Vinyl Siding Color
If you’ve decided to put vinyl siding on your home, the next step is to choose the color. Since good vinyl siding lasts for decades, you’ll be living with the color for a long time. You’ll want to choose a color you love that matches the architecture of your home and blends in well with the surroundings. Here are some things to think about when choosing the color for your vinyl siding. Siding Color Looks Brighter When Installed When you look at vinyl siding samples in the showroom, keep in mind the color will brighten some once the siding is on your house. That’s because of the difference in artificial and natural lighting. If possible, bring some samples home and place them in full sunlight, so you get a better idea of the real color you’ll get. Also, be sure to buy quality vinyl siding that is treated with UV protection. This will keep the color consistent over the years and eliminate problems with fading that cause your bright color to become dull. Match The Color To The Surroundings Although you’re free to choose any color siding you want as long as it is within HOA regulations if they apply, choosing the wrong color could affect the value of your home. You don’t want a home with an unusual color that doesn’t match others in your neighborhood if you plan to put your home on the market some day. However, your home doesn’t have to be exactly the same color. If many of the homes are white, you can choose a slightly darker, pastel, or neutral color that makes your home unique but doesn’t clash with other homes like dark red or brown siding would. The closer together homes are in your neighborhood, the more important it is to choose a color that blends in well. In addition, you want to consider the natural surroundings. If your home is in a wooded setting in a climate that has cold, snowy winters, pastel colors will look out of place. Some Siding Can Be Painted A Different Color You may want to look for a brand of vinyl siding that can be painted, so you can change the color in future years. Popular colors for homes change over the years and the colors on homes in your neighborhood may gradually shift to more trendy colors. You may find you want to change the color of your home, but you may not have the option with some types of vinyl siding. You can buy paint to cover vinyl, but doing so might void the warranty on your siding. One reason some manufacturers do not want you to paint the siding is because a darker color absorbs more heat from the sun and this can lead to problems with expansion and buckling of the vinyl. Therefore, if you think you’ll want to change the color of your home every few years, you’ll want to buy high quality siding from a manufacturer that approves painting. In addition, common design principles apply to vinyl siding colors as well. Light colors make your home look bigger and are good choices for colonial homes. Dark colors are great for accents around windows and doors. Eclectic colors work best on small, cottage homes. Plus, you’ll want to choose...
read moreDeep Well: Get A Well For Your Health & Your Wallet
You are thinking of getting a well to satisfy your water needs. And that might be a good idea. The following is a simple guide to get you acquainted with all the benefits of using a well and more. The Drinking Advantage You probably know that all water is not the same. Most of the time, the difference deals with mineral or metal content. Town or city shared water contains a little less sodium than well water per cup. Another great advantage of well water is that you will be avoiding town or city water that has been treated with chlorine. Chlorine is used to purify the water, but the cost is too high to pay. A study on long-term use of chlorinated water showed an increased chance of bladder cancer by a whopping 80 percent. To make sure you have the best well water, consider the following: Make sure your well specialist drills deep enough. This varies from location to location, but it is important to ensure that your water is not contaminated by such things as fertilizer or pesticides. Be sure to have your water pump installed anywhere from 10 to 20 feet above the bottom of the well. This is to reduce the chance of sediment buildup and, consequently, contamination of your water. Make sure that your well specialist comes to your well to inspect the water periodically to detect any contamination. It is recommended that you check your water at least every spring. And if you experience things like a land issue such as an earthquake or floods. A Good Reduction Another advantage is just how much money you will be saving in the long run. Yes, you will have to purchase a good well pump, as well as pay the labor, but that is just an initial cost. A well gives you access to all the water you want without having to pay one cent to the city, which adds up given enough time. You should ask your well specialist if you will be eligible for tax breaks or loans with your well addition. These are usually reserved for certain areas such as tribal lands or areas that are considered rural enough. You can ask your water well specialist to see if you can apply for a loan or tax break. As you can see, installing a water well is a good idea for you, your entire family, and the contents of your wallet. To find out more, speak with a business like Modern Pump &...
read moreThree Common Cleaning Methods That Can Destroy Your Travertine Tiles
Travertine tiles are renowned for both their rustic charm and their durability in home design; after all, you need look no further than the Colosseum in Rome to understand travertine’s enduring appeal. This natural limestone is formed when warm mineral springs deposit calcium carbonate and other materials in layers, which eventually solidify into a marble-like stone. The result can be a beautiful and luxurious addition to your home, but its unique chemical structure means that special care must be taken to keep it clean and undamaged. These three common cleaning methods should be avoided at all costs if you value the longevity of your travertine. Standard Surface Cleaners Travertine is less dense than granite and other types of stones used in the home, and its porous nature makes it vulnerable to acidic liquids and staining. Limestone is an alkaline stone, meaning it reacts strongly with acids and will eventually develop a scuffed, etched appearance if exposed to them. Sealing the stone can mitigate this risk, but your tiles will still be vulnerable to acid damage over time. Never use store-bought, generic cleaning products on travertine, because they tend to be acidic. Instead, purchase specialty stone-cleaning products for day-to-day maintenance, and hire experienced travertine tile cleaning experts for a professional cleaning once or twice per year. Acidic Traditional Cleaning Remedies Similarly, traditional home cleaning remedies should be avoided when it comes to travertine. Vinegar, citrus juices, and any other acidic product will harm the tiles and leave them looking worse than when you started. Even storing acidic products directly on travertine can lead to unsightly rings where the bottles rest. If you are in desperate need of a spot cleaning after spilling something on the tile, use isopropyl alcohol instead. Pure alcohols are less acidic than water and are nearly pH-neutral, making them safe to use on travertine in small doses. Baking soda dissolved in water is alkaline and can also be used to scrub out a stain, but be careful not to scratch the floor as you clean. Abrasive Sponges and Vacuums Travertine is not especially delicate, but it is not as hard as granite, and its surface can be marred with too much elbow grease. For this reason, you should avoid cleaning implements like sponges and vacuum cleaners, which can cause scratches or even chip your tiles. Most tiles will not need such thorough cleaning anyways, and many homeowners find that a simple dust mop is more than sufficient for daily care. When your tiles are ready for a more thorough cleaning, it may be wise to rely on the expertise of travertine tile cleaning specialists, who will have specialized cleaning products and equipment on hand to ensure that your travertine remains attractive and unblemished for decades to...
read moreNoisy Neighbors & Home Insulation Not Helping? It May Be Time To Look Into New Windows
If you seem to wake up every morning every time your neighbor starts their car for their early-morning shift or are kept awake at night by the “night owls” next door talking away on their porch, then there are two options to look into for making your home more soundproof. If you already have adequate home insulation, then replacing your older windows with the right replacements can help you finally have a quiet home that keeps outside noise outside where it belongs. Don’t know which windows to choose? Here are the two most important window components to look for when you want to block out as much outside noise as possible. 1. High Sound Transmission Class Rating Windows marketed as “soundproof” or “sound-blocking” often have a rating called a Sound Transmission Class Rating, or STC. Put simply, this is just a measurement of how much sound from outdoors the window blocks. The higher the STC rating, the more sound it should block. If the windows you are looking into don’t have this rating, then don’t worry, because you can determine a general STC rating just by knowing how the window is generally constructed. Single pane non-laminated windows are typically rated at about a 27 on the STC scale. Dual-pane non-laminated windows are usually rated at about 28 on the scale. As expected, the type of glass is also a factor when blocking noise, and one thick pane of laminated glass will block more outside noise than a pane of non-laminated glass. One pane of laminated glass has a rating of 32 to 35. If you want to block even more noise, there are special “soundproof” window panes that have STC ratings of 45 to the mid-50s. While the investment in this added sound-blocking pane would likely be a great one if you are dealing with very loud outside noise, like if your home is next to train tracks or close to an airport, a good set of laminated dual-pane windows would likely be sufficient to block out the sound of those noisy neighbors. 2. Air-tight Vinyl Frames Properly Installed If you are looking into new windows, then you may already know that vinyl frames are best for home insulation purposes. They are also the best frame choice for blocking outside noise and are the best overall choice for consumers who are not in hurricane-prone areas where impact-resistant aluminum can be a better option. In the end, no matter what type of window frame you do choose, proper installation is key to blocking as much outside noise as possible. Window frames installed properly will prevent air from entering your home. While sound waves travel faster through many solid substances, most of the sound waves are absorbed by the solid substance or reflected off it in the direction it came from. That means air-tight window frames will reflect noise back outside and absorb some of it, leaving little entering your home. If you think you have noisy neighbors, then you may just need new windows that block more sound. Take these two important factors into consideration when choosing new replacement windows that will block as much outside noise as...
read moreIce Dams: How They Threaten Roofs, And How To Get Rid Of Them
Have you ever looked up onto your roof in the winter and spotted a big barrier of ice near its edge? Perhaps there were also many icicles. This wall of ice is commonly known as an ice dam, and even though they are common, it is not good to have one on your roof. Here’s a look at the hazards posed by ice dams, and what you can do to prevent them in the future. What damage do ice dams cause? Ice dams make roof leaks increasingly likely. As the temperature changes, the ice may begin to thaw, and some of the water may work its way under the shingles near the edge of the roof. When the temperature drops again, this water expands as it re-freezes, prying the shingles away from the roof and making leaks likely. Ice dams also “clog” your gutter, so water sits on your roof for longer rather than draining away. This, again, makes leaks more likely, and the increased exposure to moisture also causes issues like rotting and algae growth. What causes ice dams? In order to understand how to prevent ice dams, you must first understand what causes them. In an ideal situation, your roof would be well insulated, so the heat from your home would not transfer to the roof – it would stay cool, and the snow on top of it would not melt until the temperature rose above freezing. If you do not have enough insulation in your attic, however, the top of your roof may become warm from the heat escaping your home. This cause the snow to melt and trickle towards the edge of the roof, where it re-freezes and forms an ice dam. How can ice dams be prevented? If you’re noticing ice dams on your roof, the long-term solution is to add more insulation to your attic. In many homes, simply laying out another layer of fiberglass insulation is sufficient. However, if you live in an old home with thin walls, there may not be enough space for the amount of fiberglass insulation it will take to adequately insulate your attic. Having it replaced with high-R-value spray foam insulation may be required. In the short-term, while you’re waiting to improve your insulation, you can prevent ice dams from forming by raking the snow off of your roof before it has a chance to melt. Snow rakes, which are like lawn rakes with long handles, are sold at most garden stores and make it rather easy to clear your roof after a snow storm. For more information, contact a residential roofing contractor in your...
read moreAC Not Making Cold Air? Understand The Basics Of The Cooling Coil
You may have noticed that your home’s central air conditioning is not working like it used to. The air may be warmer or it takes a long time to cool down your home. It is most likely due to a problem with the cooling coil, and it is a very common problem that homeowners experience with their air conditioner. By understanding what the cooling coil is and how it can fail, you can determine if you need the help of an air conditioning repair service to get the system running properly again. What Does The Cooling Coil Do? The cooling coil found inside your air conditioner is very similar to a car radiator. It is a mass of copper tubes that flows with Freon, which is a gas that makes the copper tubes very cold. When you turn on the air conditioning, it triggers the motor to pull in outside air. The air blows across the coils and quickly cools before it flows through the vents throughout your home. What Are Symptoms That The Cooling Coil Is Failing? A cooling coil is completely closed off, with nothing entering or leaving the coils. Freon can escape the coils if there is damage to the copper tubing, with an air conditioner that produces warm air being a sign that the Freon isn’t in the system. Damage can occur due to humidity in the air. As air touches the coils, water may be left behind that can cause the copper coil to become damaged. Since the copper tubing is small, it is easily susceptible to cracking. What Happens When The Cooling Coil Fails? If the cooling coil does have a crack in it, the best option will be to replace the entire coil. There are products that claim they can patch a cooling coil, but they are not long-term solutions. They may provide a quick fix to get your air conditioner up and running again, but they will eventually break and cause you to lose all the Freon in the system. Replacing the cooling coil can save you time and frustration. By understanding the basics behind the air conditioner’s cooling coil, you will be able to troubleshoot issues with warm air and know that it’s time to contact an air conditioner repair service like Metro Air. They will be able to quickly and efficiently service your HVAC system, and get your home’s air conditioner back up and running before you know...
read moreHow To Maintain Your Well
If you use a well as a water source, then it is absolutely imperative that you keep it in working condition. If you fail to do so, then you could not only end up with a lack of water, but you could also find yourself drinking unhealthy water or water that just tastes bad. To help you maintain your well, here are some tips to keep in mind: Frequent Inspections Once every year or so, you should hire an service technician, like those at Golden Gate Well Drilling & Water Conditioning, to come out and take a look at your well. While it may seem like an unnecessary expenditure, constant vigilance can actually save you quite a bit of money in the long run. Inspections can often catch burgeoning problems early, long before they develop into severe threats to your water supply. By keeping close track of the health of your water and the surrounding soil, you can prevent dangerous chemicals and bacteria from harming you and your family. Get the Right Filter for the Job If you want to install some additional filters on your well water, you will need to decide if you want a point of entry filter or a series of point of use filters. With a point of entry filter, you only need to install a single filter at the point where the water stream from your well enters your home’s plumbing. This can be a very efficient method if you want to treat all of the water entering your home. However, it can be a bit harder to service a point of entry filter. With a point of use filter, you will need to install filters at every faucet that you want to be treated. Some filters attach directly to the faucet, while others are a little more involved, such as pitcher filters. In either case, servicing the filters can be pretty easy, but they do stand out and get in the way relative to other options. General Safety Procedures For the most part, you want to keep anything toxic and unfit for human consumption away from your well. This means that you don’t want a tool shed or fertilizers sitting anywhere near your well. The safest bet is to keep your well as isolated as possible. This will help reduce overall contamination and will keep your well safe from harm. Even external damage to the well can result in pretty serious leaks if left...
read moreMake Your Flower Garden Easier To Maintain With Concrete Curbing
If you are constantly picking weeds out of your flower garden, one way you can take care of this problem is by adding concrete curbing around the entire garden. This acts as a barrier, so weeds do not have a chance to get in. This not only keeps your garden beautiful, but saves you precious time of pulling weeds. Make a Trench Use a garden shovel to dig a trench all around the flower garden. The trench should be a few inches deep. When you are finished, step on the soil to create a base for the concrete when you pour it in. If you have a very large garden, you can use a small tiller to make the trench around it. When you are finished, make sure all debris is removed from it. Fill It With Gravel Line the trench with pea gravel, or any other type of small gravel, and then pack it down. You need to make sure the gravel is level so your edging will be level. To do this, drive wooden stakes every few inches around the trench, and then tie a string on the first stake around to the last one. Purchase a line level from a home improvement store if you do not have one, and attach it to the string to make sure everything is level. Keep adding gravel until it is level. Install the Hardboard Purchase a flexible hardboard long enough to go around each side edge of your flower garden. Push it in the ground starting at one end of the trench edge to the other end. Do this for each side of the trench. This keeps the concrete from running outside of the trench. Make sure it is completely level all around your flower garden. Do this by using a leveler around it. When you see something is not level, either push the hardboard down or up. Lay the Concrete Purchase ready mix concrete in bags at a home supply store. Follow the directions on how to mix it up. Concrete typically dries fast, so do not mix it until you are ready to pour it. (If you prefer, you can contact a concrete company like Corey Co LLC and order a small batch of ready-mix concrete.) Pour the concrete around the entire flower garden until it is the same height as the hardboard you installed. When all of the concrete is installed, use a trowel to level it out with the top of the hardboard. As you can see, it is not difficult to put concrete edging around a flower bed. You can now put an edging anywhere else you may...
read moreA Do-It-Yourself Repair For Your AC Unit
Your AC unit is only efficient as long as it is in proper working order. For this reason, you should have your unit tuned at the beginning of every cooling season. While there is nothing quite like a professional’s touch, there are things that you can do on your own to keep your system in good repair and save yourself a little money. Specifically, you should inspect for and repair leaks in your ductwork. Duct Repair The seals on your ductwork will eventually wear out, and when they do, your ducts will start leaking. As air leaks out of your ducts, a smaller volume of air is available to cool your home, and your AC unit has to run longer than it should. In fact, leaky ducts can decrease your AC efficiency by up to 30%. Clearly, you should make repairs whenever it is necessary. If your ducts run behind the drywall in your home, you will not have the tools to make repairs on your own, so you will have to call in duct professionals. On the other hand, if you have exposed ducts running through your attic, your crawlspace, or through any unfinished portions of your home, you can make repairs with these steps: Turn your AC fan on at the thermostat Make your way to the ducts and light a stick of incense. Slowly guide the incense down the joints and seams in your ductwork. Watch for places where the incense smoke is disturbed. Mark these spots with a permanent marker and keep moving so that you don’t waste your incense. Once you have covered the full length of your ducts, turn off your AC fan. Paint over each of the leaks you found with duct mastic. Make sure you apply a thick coat. Allow the mastic to dry before you turn your AC back on. Insulation? If you have exposed ductwork, it likely is not protected by your home’s insulation envelope. In this case, the outside air can heat up your ducts, which in turn will heat up the air running through your ducts, decreasing your unit’s efficiency. Wrap your ducts with a reflective insulation to isolate the air in your ducts from the outside air and increase efficiency. Ductwork is an important part of your AC system. It might not be what you first think of when you think of AC repair, but leaky ducts can still have a detrimental effect on the performance of your system. Not only will duct problems decrease efficiency, but they can cause premature wear and create premature system failure. Thus, wise homeowners will include ducts in their AC maintenance. Visit Proctor Mechanical Corp for more information about AC...
read moreTop 6 Reasons Why You Need Impact Windows
If you’re looking for replacement windows, you should consider installing impact windows. Impact windows aren’t just for homeowners in hurricane affected areas. Any homeowner can benefit from these windows. Here are six reasons you need impact windows: 1. Burglary protection Impact windows withstand hurricane winds. They are also designed to resist shattering when objects and debris hit the glass during a hurricane. Due to their strength, these windows are ideal to protect any home from burglary. Impact windows have several layers of thick glass which will make a break-in almost impossible. During installation, the contractor reinforces the window frame with thick screws and fasteners to make the window even more resilient. 2. Decreased heating and cooling costs The thick glass of impact windows aren’t just useful to keep burglars out but to keep your home efficient. By installing these windows you can save money on your electricity bills. Impact windows keep hot air in your home in the winter and the heat from the sun out in the summer. By replacing your windows, you can get up to a 78% return on your investment between the energy savings and the increased value to your home. 3. Lower insurance rates By installing impact windows, you may qualify for a discount on your homeowner’s insurance. If you live in a hurricane or tornado area, contact your insurance company to see if you qualify for a rate reduction if you replace your windows. Even if you don’t live in a hurricane zone you may still qualify for a discount due to the protection from burglary, hail, or tree damage. 4. Sound proofing Impact windows insulate and block transmission of sound more efficiently than standard windows. Traffic, barking dogs and noisy neighbors will no longer disturb you. You can also make more noise in your home without worrying about bothering anyone else. Your time at home will be more relaxed, quiet, and peaceful. 5. Block harmful rays Impact glass blocks much of the ultraviolet rays from the sun. These rays are harmful not just to your skin, but your home furnishings and decor. In fact, 60% of the damage to furniture comes from UV rays. By replacing your windows with impact windows you can protect your furniture and pictures from fading and keep them beautiful. 6. Customizable Impact windows come in many shapes and styles and some manufacturers allow you to customize them to suit your home. You can even have your windows tinted to provide more privacy or shade from the sun. This offers a big advantage, especially over storm shutters, for anyone that lives in a hurricane or tornado area. Impact windows offer huge benefits to homeowners no matter the area. If you’re interested in burglary protection and lower energy costs impacts windows are the best option for you. To learn more, contact a company like Storm Shield...
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