Cement Board Siding

Cement board siding is a factory-made composite material; Portland Cement, wood fibers and other additives are fused together under extreme pressure. Cement board siding is considered by many experts to be a Green building material because it is extremely durable and made partially from recycled content. CertainTeed, one of the major manufacturers of cement board, claims that its siding contains 30% post industrial recycled content.

Another major manufacturer of cement board siding is the James Hardie Company and their product that simulates clapboard is known as HardiePlank. HardiePlank has become term that most builders use for cement board siding. I used HardiePlank on an addition to my house and am slowly replacing all of my siding with it. I also used trim boards made by the James Hardie Company for the exterior window trim, soffits, fascia, mud boards and corner boards.

I am very pleased with the HardiePlank products and

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Septic Tank Smell

Let’s examine the two issues. Normal logic tells you that if you have a septic problem, you call a septic professional. Let’s face it, you may not be the foremost researched septic tank repairman, and while the advice is welcome, you were not born yesterday. Septic contractors are no different than any other pushy sales person on the planet. You already know your system is backed up, what can a contractor really offer you?

Well they can pump out the septic tank. It will lower the amount of waste for you, and will temporarily make the problem appear to be solve. Issue being that you haven’t restored the function of the septic tank, you just emptied it, masking the problem. Pumping can cost roughly 400-500 dollars, and is almost always recommended by your local “septic professional.” A properly functioning septic system does not need to be pumped out, it simply

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How to Cut Energy Costs

  • Foam Insulation
    Most of the home improvement, building and supply shops offer cans of polystyrene foam insulator. When using it, bear in mind that this type of insulator expands a lot. The excess can always be cut off using a knife.

Spray the foam carefully around the areas where the wall meets the floor. Before doing that, remove all of the baseboards. By doing this you will successfully insulate the room and raise the temperature during the cold months.

  • Window Insulation Kit
    The window insulation kits are really handy. They contain clear plastic sheeting layers, which are taped to your windows. After that you take a hair dryer and seal the layer. It shrinks so that there are no wrinkles. The final result is really good. Although, it’s not like looking through a clear glass window, the quality of the insulation is very high. This makes this method preferable by
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Decorative Post Caps

Wood

You can’t really go wrong with the classic choice, and wood will always be the “classic” when it comes to decks and patios. When many homeowners think of “decorative post caps”, they don’t think about getting ostentatious and drawing attention to the details. They want something that simply fits, and this is certainly a direction you can choose. Good manufacturers will treat their wood with a special protectant that will keep the wind and rain from getting into the grain. If the wood for the covers doesn’t match your existing construction, you can stain it to get a perfect match. You can also paint it to get the color you desire.

Metal

Whether you’re topping off wood or another material, metal decorative post caps will stand out in a good way. If you choose a polished metal, you’ll get that hint of sparkle that most decks won’t be able

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Water Damage Restoration

Cleanup Water Fast to Prevent Mold

The first is to prevent mold. This cannot be stressed enough,because there is a twenty four to forty eight hour window before mold begins to grow, so water damage cleanup needs to be performed within that open window.

Cleanup Water Fast to Prevent Foundation Damage

The second reason is to prevent foundation damage. Standing water over time will break down concrete floors by weakening them in the center, so it must be kept dry.

Cleanup Water Fast to Prevent Bacteria

There is a third reason for quickly removing water, and that is to prevent bacteria and the risk of contamination. I prefer the ease of use with a rented water extractor to cleanup water myself.

Before I begin water damage cleanup, and because I prefer the job of cleanup water myself, here are some tips I would like to share. Starting with paper products

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Basics of Renovating Foreclosed Home

Safety should always be your #1 priority

Paint, wallpaper, nails – all of these may cost you a huge amount of money to replace if it’s wasted, but the important thing to keep in mind here is that all of them are indeed replaceable. Your health – your life – is not.

It’s okay if you wish to risk using materials that are not of Grade A quality as long as you are okay with the potential inconveniences and discomforts that normally accompany such a decision. Do so, however, only if it won’t be a risk to your safety.

To start with, be sure to gear up for safety when working on DIY renovations. Secondly, make sure that all your tools and equipment are indeed in working order and that you have studied or trained well to ensure that you know how to use them safely and properly.

Lastly, it’s … Read the rest

Drain Cleaning Beyond the Clog

Handling the Problem

The first step for the professional is to remove whatever material is causing the clog to occur. This step often involves flushing the lines using high-powered water. It will push the material out of the home and into the sewer. Additionally, the process will involve drain cleaning using chemicals. Sometimes chemicals can help to break up hard-to-move material. In other cases, the material still will not move. Here, the professional may need to use a professional quality snake to push the material out of the lines. Once the clog is no longer there, the professional should provide additional services.

Inspection of the Lines

In some cases, the process is limited by tree roots or breaks in the lines. If a pipe has a jagged cut in it that is allowing material to be caught on it, this can be a consistent problem with the line. In other … Read the rest

Solar Battery Charger

Bringing along all the different chargers for every gadget is very inconvenient and the problem of looking for an outlet to plug it into is another issue that most people have encountered in their daily lives. With today’s fast-paced lifestyle that assumes everyone can be easily reached, a missed phone call or an unsent e-mail can have negative consequences on one’s career. In these kinds of situations, having a solar battery charger can prove to be very handy.

There are basically three popular types of a solar battery charger that are available in the market today. The first and most popular kind are portable chargers. A solar battery charger for iPhone, or a portable audio player is an example of this. They are primarily made with thin strips of film or monocrystalline panels that make use of solar energy. Some are even made of extremely thin film that they can

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Mold Remediation

Liability Insurance

Do not even think about hiring a mold remediation company that can’t provide documentation of their liability insurance. These companies must actually carry a special form of this insurance, known as environmental pollution insurance. It is required by most- if not all- state governments. If the company you’re thinking of hiring doesn’t have it, they are operating at least somewhat illegally. Not to mention the fact that you’re taking a big risk. In other words, if they damage something in your home, it may not be covered under the contract.

Testing

It’s not unusual for a company to provide both testing and mold remediation, but it’s bad form for a company to offer both to the same customer. The reason is obvious. It’s a conflict of interest. Of course, a mechanic doesn’t consider it a conflict of interest to both diagnose a problem with your car and then

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Wall Sticker Ideas For Boys

If you think girls are fussy, then you haven’t tried dealing with the boys. They are subtle and certainly persuasive once they set their minds on to something. So instead of tearing the room apart to add anchors or boats (if your kid wants a ship theme room), wall stickers are excellent alternatives. You can turn your kid’s room into a pirate’s paradise by installing wall murals that depict treasure maps or coves. Some stickers can also be printed into custom-made wallpaper which can give the mural a 3D effect to it. If you don’t want a mural, then you can purchase wall stickers and just attach the stickers to the wall area of your choice.

Aside from pirates, you can also choose from several sports theme stickers. These decals are excellent for those boys who love different types of sports or are actively engaged in one. You can choose

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