Home Renovation: How to Reduce Dust in Construction
By Kathryn Haley
One of the biggest concerns people have before beginning a renovation is the amount of dirt and dust that will be created. The idea of having their home covered in a layer of dust keeps many from starting. If you have allergies or health issues need to be extra careful.
Although you can’t eliminate all dust and dirt during a renovation, there are things you can do to reduce the amount of dust that is created and control its spread throughout your home. So whether you are using a contractor or doing the work yourself, here are some tips for reducing dust.
1/ Seal Room
You can purchase rolls of thin plastic that you can seal off the work areas with. Hang the plastic in doorways and openings and tape it to the door frames. Make sure it is a tight seal, especially when sanding drywall.
2/ Cover Ducting
Be sure to seal off the floor vents and cold air returns in the rooms you are renovating. Once dirt and dust get into the vents it will spread throughout the house when you turn the system on. It will also require you to pay to have them cleaned out. Simply close them and seal them with plastic and tape.
3/ Use Dustless Drywall Compound
If you have ever had drywall work done you know the dust gets everywhere and lingers in the air for days. I discovered this product the last time I did a major renovation and it really works. Instead of going airborne and staying airborne, the dust falls to the floor and stays there. It is available at Home Depot and other home improvement stores and it is a must if you are doing drywall work.
4/ Wear layers
You probably won’t be able to get hired workers to wear them, but if you are doing the work yourself, buy some painters overalls and wear them. They are very inexpensive, you can find them at the dollar store, and they will protect your clothes and help you control the dirt.
Wear them when you are doing drywall sanding or any other dusty task, and then remove them before leaving the room. That way you keep the dirt and dust in the room and you don’t track it throughout the house.
5/ Cut Materials Outside.
Yes, it is more convenient to set up saws near the room being renovated, especially if it is upstairs. However, cutting tiles and wood in the garage or backyard is an easy way to minimize saw dust and tile dust.
6/ Make Cleanup Easy 
Another great product that makes clean up and containing dust and dirt easier is Rosin paper. Cover your floors with the paper and tape it in place before you start renovating. Once you are finished you can simply roll up the paper with the dirt and dust inside and throw it out. An added bonus is it protects your tile or hardwood flooring from damage as well.
Let’s face it, renovations are messy. There is no way to do a renovation and not have some dirt and dust. However, if you follow these tips it will much easier to control the dirt and reduce the dust.
Do you have any other tips to help keep renovation dust under control? Let us know in the comments below.
Home Security Tips For Basement Windows
Basement windows present a significant security vulnerability for many homes. Although the basement itself may not hold anything of value, often doors or windows leading to the basement are not as well protected as other entry points to the home, and therefore, burglars see it as easy access to the rest of your home.
Here are a few quick tips to guide you through improving the security of your basement windows.
Use good outside lighting
Make sure your basement windows are always well-lit during the evenings and at night. A dark place is always more likely to be broken into.
Keep basement windows visible from the outside
A basement window that is concealed by plants or shrubs is attractive to burglars because it provides them a cover under which they can easily operate.
Install security bars and good locks
Heavy security bars made of iron or steel offer sufficient protection against intruders. However, you must install these bars in such a way that firefighters can still use the window as an exit point, in case of an emergency. Most of these bars can be manipulated from the inside so that the window can provide an escape route.
Use a reliable set of locks and keys for the basement windows, if they do not have secure latches or other locking mechanisms. However, you must be able to open at least one window in the basement without the use of keys, in an emergency situation.
Advertise your home security system
A monitored home security system is one of the most effective ways of preventing break-ins. Make sure any passers-by can clearly see your home security stickers. Your basement windows must be secure and set up in alliance with the security system.
Use shatter-proof glass
To improve the security of your basement windows, it can also be beneficial to have shatter-proof glass installed as a replacement for regular glass. Since basement windows are usually fairly small in size, installing shatter-proof glass can be relatively affordable. Unless you have experience in glass installation, it’s highly recommended that you hire a professional to upgrade the glass in your basement windows. Research professional glass installation services in your area, and choose a highly rated service provider that has positive customer reviews.
Block the view into the basement
Use glass block for your windows, so that any outsider cannot peek in and see what is going on inside your basement. The intruder will not be able to tell if the basement is empty or occupied. Glass block is also extremely strong and difficult to shatter.
Plant tactical landscaping
To help limit access to your basement windows, you can also use tactical landscaping methods. Plant low, thorny bushes around your basement windows, making them difficult or nearly impossible for an intruder to access. If you are worried about the appearance of your home, you can use Hawthorne, Rosebushes or Barberry bushes to create a visually pleasing “barrier” around your basement window area. If you need to have access to your basement windows, you can also use thick, thorn-free shrubbery that still provides limited access.
The most effective home security strategies are those devised with your home’s particular layout and weaknesses in mind. Always remember to protect every potential entry into your home, not just the ones you use every day.
© 2010 Canada Realty News™
Source: www.vanhomesales.com
Tips For Saving Money on Decorating the Home
You spend so much time in your home and it is the base for entertaining family and friends, that you want it to be a stylish reflection of who you are. However, style doesn’t come cheap and you can easily become discouraged in your decoration goals and just give up. Instead of settling for an outdated home lacking in personality, think about how you can use these tips to save money on your home decoration.
- Know what you want. Spend some time reading home decorating magazines and looking online at new styles and trends. You don’t have to replicate the designer looks you see, but you can use them as inspiration for your overhaul. Plus when you have a plan and an idea of the style you want in your home you will be able to look out for bargains and buy only what you need and what will fit with your new look.
- Take it slow. You don’t have to replace everything in your home at once when you are decorating, instead, work with what you have and let the natural style and features of your home shine through and change little things every now and then and your home will always feel refreshed and you won’t have a huge decorating bill to pay.
- Watch for sales. You will notice that major department and home wares stores have regular sales, so watch and wait until the items you want are on sale and stock up.
- Look for second hand gems. Not everything you find in a thrift store or a garage sale is going to be able to help you revamp your home, but look out for pieces you can add new life to, such as picture frames, shutters or furniture like tables, chairs and desks, all of which can expensive to buy new.
- Paint it. Whether you are revamping that desk you found at a garage sale, or you want to update a room, painting is a fast and affordable way to achieve a new look. Stick to neutral colours to repaint your rooms to begin with, and look for places where you can add accent colours to add interest.
- Natural decor. The next time you’re out on a walk or down at the beach, keep an eye out for interesting shells, branches, drift wood or rocks which you can use to make interesting displays indoors.
- Bring plants indoors. You can also bring in potted plants to add personality, colour and of course life to your home decoration project very affordably. You can buy small plants more affordably than mature plants and grow them up, and you can even buy a plain pot and decorate it with left over paint, wrapping paper or fabric.
- Less is more. You can save money on your home decoration by buying fewer things. A simple display of three or four items on top of a bookcase will make s much more stylish statement than if you covered the surface with thirty things.
- Make your own wall art. Wall hangings will not only make your house feel like a home, they are also a great way to inject personality, and regularly update your home’s look. You can use anything to add interest to your walls and it doesn’t have to cost a lot, for example you could hang a window frame you found at a salvage yard, stretch and interesting pillowcase or piece of fabric over a frame or enlarge your photos and make a wall display of your family and friends. You don’t even have to use typical wall hangings, even quilts or china plates can make an eye catching and affordable display.
- Paper art. Before you throw away your old calendar at the end of the year, look at the pictures on each month and see whether you can reuse them as wall art too. Many calendars will have beautiful landscape photos or adorable animal images while others will have abstract lines and colours. Simply use some cheap frames and enjoy the pictures for more than a year this time.
- Make your room grand. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to achieve an opulent look simply mount your window coverings high above the actual frame of the window and your rooms will appear bigger and more stately because the ceiling will look higher as the eye id drawn upwards.
- Affordable window coverings. Curtain fabrics can be very expensive, but if you buy a sheet set in a department store sale, or get out one of those sets you were given but never got around to using, you can use the fitted sheet as a valance to dress up your windows – simply tack the sheet in strategic spots along the top of the window frame and you don’t even need a sewing machine or a curtain rod.
- Bring books back in style. You have probably noticed book stores closing down left and right, and at garage sales and thrift shops you can buy books by weight. Therefore, use these interesting literary works as affordable decor in your home. Look for unique, hard cover books at library book sales and antique stores and fill shelves or stack them to create a display.
Alban has been helping people to save money on all aspects of their life. You can find more tips from Alban on how to save money at Savings Account Finder
Little Touch-ups That Make a Big Difference When Selling your House
You are probably already aware of the major things you need to do around your home to get it ready for sale. These include getting rid of clutter, doing minor repairs, and making everything clean and tidy so every room is as much of a showcase as possible.
But there are a myriad of little touch ups you can do that you may not have thought of before… touch ups that can make a big difference in how attractive your home looks to potential buyers.
Here are just a few:
Can you think of any other touch ups that will pay off when selling? Share them with us in the comments below.
Source: www.vanhomesales.com
Hiring A Home Contractor: Top 10 Questions to Ask Before You Decide
By Kathryn Haley
Don’t ever assume you know the answers. What you expect contractors to do and what they actually do can be miles apart. Ask the questions before you hire them; put their answers down in writing in front of them and you stand a much better chance of your renovation going well.
So here we go. In no particular order, the top 10 questions to ask before hiring your contractor.
1/ How long do you estimate the job will take?
It is important you understand this is an estimate, however, you want the contractor to know they are being held to a reasonable timeline.
2/ What kind of insurance do you carry?
When hiring a contractor or sub-contractor, make sure each carries public liability and property damage insurance. Do your homework by taking the time to check with the insurance agency to verify that the policy is still effective and will be throughout the duration of your renovation.
3/ How big is your crew?
If they work alone the job will take longer than if they have a crew of 2 or 3 guys. You should insist on licenced plumbers and electricians for those areas of the job. Also ask if they are all employees or do they use sub-contractors. They will have more control over employees.
4/ Will YOU be on site every day?
Home owners tend to assume the general contractor will be on site at all times. Rarely is that the case.
5/ Who is responsible for getting permits?
This one will flush out those contractors who don’t want to get permits. Although it may make the job go faster and save a little money, you as the home owner run a huge risk if the workmanship is faulty and there are no permits.
6/ What are the names of 3-5 past clients I can contact?
Speaking with past clients, and if possible, seeing the work done, is very important. I recommend seeing the work since your expectation of finish quality may be different then the person you are speaking with.
7/ What is not included in the quotation that you know I will need?
This one flushes out those contractors who are trying to low ball the quote to get the job, and then come back to you later and add things in. Unforeseen things come up in renovations, however, too many contractor are leaving out things they know you will need just to get the job.
8/ Do you belong to any professional organizations?
They will have more accountability if they are members of professional organizations. These could include:
Home Builders Association
Better Business Bureau
Chamber of Commerce
NKBA (National Kitchen and Bath Association)
9/ What is the schedule of work?
What you are looking for here is an approximate timeline for each sub trade; to find out if there will be people on site every day; what hours they will work; when there will be lulls in the progress. Home owners are often surprised to find out the workers want to start at 7:30 or 8:00 am or work on the weekends.
10/ What is the best way to get in contact with you?
Determine if email, text or calling is the best form of contact. Communication breakdown is the number one source of renovation frustration. Also determine if they are available after business hours to discuss concerns.
So there you have it; the top 10 questions to ask before hiring a contractor. Getting the answers to these questions will give you the clarity you need to make the best choice for you.
Remember, the contractor isn’t the enemy. If both parties are clear of the expectations from the beginning of the project, you stand a much better chance of having a successful renovation; and ultimately that is what you and your contractor want.
Can you think of any other questions to ask? Share them with us in the comments below!
Happy Renovating!
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