DIY: What to Do Before Painting a Room

Clueless about what to do before painting a room? Painting is a doable job but the consequences arising from an efficient job can be undesirable. Many dissatisfying paint jobs arise from failing to prepare your room, paint and yourself properly. Prevent that from happening to you on your next paint job – here are 9 things you should before painting a room.

Fall Maintenance With an Eye on Earthquake Safety

The recent earthquake in Napa reminds us all that earthquakes are a way of life in California. The earthquake may have created some new maintenance problems, or there may be some safety precautions you’ve been meaning to take. Either way, please use this article as a guide for beginning to prepare your home for the colder months coming up.

Timber Recycling: How to Choose Recycled Wood

Reclaimed wood may just be the perfect building material for the next project you will work on. It is adaptable, strong, and eco-friendly. Recycled wood could be give you a nice rustic look, or it could be milled again to get a new finish. And it can also save you a significant sum of money. The following are some tips on how to find, select, and work with recycled timber:

How to Protect Steel Gates From Rust

Long term exposure to wind, heat, rain, and dust will make steel gates rust and corrode. This is why proper and periodic maintenance is important, as it adds life to the gates. Below are some tips to protecting steel gates from premature rusting:

Best Types of Wood for Building Fences

A wood fence that is regularly maintained can last for around 20 years. But this life expectancy could be significantly increased if you use a high quality timber. The following are some of the species that are known to be of better quality than others, including some of their characteristics that can help you decide on what to use for your fencing project.

How to Repair a Door Hinge

Fixing a door hinge can seem stressful if you have no experience with this kind of job, but it doesn’t have to be. Here is a step-by-step guide to fixing your door hinge.

Is Your Home Ready for Autumn – Or Have You Been Procrastinating?

With the “official end of summer,” there’s no doubt about it. Winter is on its way. If you’ve been procrastinating, now is the time to get those last minute maintenance items done! In our last issue we offered a few tips. Here are some additional areas that you should review as part of your fall maintenance plan. Is your furnace happy? It won’t be long until your heater is pressed into duty. Now is the time to clean or replace the air filter. In addition you should turn it on and have a listen. Does it screech or whine? This could be a sign of warn belts.

How to Build a Man Cave Bar

Are you ready to upgrade your “man cave” with a real bar? We have some tips so you can do it yourself! Read more…

4 Easy Ways to Make Your Home Look More Expensive

Flip through any magazine today, be it fashion or home related, and you’ll be bathed in page after page of glamorous, luxurious environments. It’s no secret either that those rooms don’t come cheap. Smart shopping, a keen eye and a willingness to roll-up your sleeves can go far these days in creating expensive looking interiors without having to fork over large sums of cash. Here’s a list of 4 Easy Ways to Make Your Home Look More Expensive

5 Steps to the Perfect DIY Paint Job

Today the art and craft of professional painters is an important part of the building trades. But at the same time ordinary folk, like you and I, have grasped their brushes firmly in hand and have begun painting their own rooms. For a masterful looking finished product here are this decorators best suggestions for the perfect DIY paint job