How Do I Replace a Broken Stair Part?

A staircase may be among the most used and noticeable features in a home, and because of this, you understandably want to take very step possible to keep your staircase looking great and in safe, functional condition for years to come. However, because of how frequently stairs and rails can be used, you may be wondering how do I replace a broken stair part. By following a few easy tips, you may be able to complete the work on your stairs on your own.

Many homeowners love to complete do-it-yourself projects, and most staircase repair issues may be completed with relative ease by the homeowner. However, the first step in any repair project is to find the right parts to use. In most cases, you will not find staircase parts in a local home improvement store, but you can find a wonderful selection online. Keep in mind that your repair issue may be the perfect excuse to make an upgrade. For example, when you are repairing a squeaky carpeted step, perhaps you can replace the carpet with the hardwood steps that you have been dreaming about. If your stair rail is wobbly, now may be the time to install a new shaker-style railing or the iron balusters that will give your home a more modern and updated look. These types of projects can improve the damage to your space and can improve the look of your stairs at the same time. When you are shopping online, you can consider making upgrades with the selection of the right parts for your needs.

When you are wondering how do I replace a broken stair part, it is also important to think about the actual repair steps that are required. You can learn more about the steps to complete the repairs online through numerous videos or articles. Keep in mind that you can also ask a contractor or handyman to complete the work once you have ordered the parts that you want to use. This is a wonderful way to keep your home in great condition and to improve its style at the same time.

How Do I Replace Shutters?

If you own a home and want it to look it’s best, you should take the time to upgrade and update some of the items. For example, if you replace the shutters, you can modernize the place and bring in a nice look. While true, many of us don’t know what we are doing. Luckily, with these three tips, you can replace your shutters with ease.

Know how to take off the old ones: First and foremost, when you ask yourself, how do I replace shutters, you need to know how to remove the old ones. To get started, head to your shed or garage and pull out either a flathead or Philips screwdriver. Then, remove the screws and simply take off the shutters. If they are stuck on or the screw are warped, you may have to work harder to get them off. Sometimes, in the worst case scenario, you will have to remove the shutters forcefully. Either way, once off, you are on your way to fixing the issue.

Clean up and prepare the area: Before you put on the new shutters, you should paint the area around it and clean it up. Think about it, you are not going to have a chance to do this for a long time. For this reason, grab a paint brush and touch up the area. Without a doubt, if you do this, you are going to save yourself some time and effort in the future.

Buy the best ones for your needs: Finally, once you clean up the area, you are ready to put on the shutters. To do so, head to a local hardware store and buy the best ones you can afford. Remember, plenty of people will see your shutters, and you will want to show them off to friends and neighbors.

With these three tips, one can save time and money when installing shutters. Since this is a time-consuming and costly task, it’s wise to take your time; consider the long-term when you set everything up for your house. Otherwise, you will deal with issues in the future..

How Do I Choose the Right Chair Rail Moulding for my Home?

Without a doubt, a homeowner will want to use the right tools and items to fix up his or her place. When doing so, not only will a homeowner accentuate the positives of the place, but he or she will enjoy the house thoroughly. While true, it’s easy to forget this when working on the place. For this reason, here are three tips to choose the right chair moulding for a home.

Color: First and foremost, a homeowner will want his or her colors to match. Otherwise, when things don’t match, one will struggle to have a beautiful house that others enjoy. Think about it, if the walls don’t match the chair rail moulding, the house will look strange. For this reason, this is the biggest thing to consider when one wants to choose the right chair rail moulding.

Style: Now, believe it or not, when buying chair rail moulding, one can choose the wrong style easily. If a homeowner makes one mistake, the entire setup will look foolish and not interesting. On the other hand, with the right style, people will come into the house and remain impressed all the time. Simply put, when trying to have a nice style, one should use the right chair rail moulding style for the situation. If you aren't sure what would work best for your home, please feel free to contact us so we can help you choose the best fit.

Durability: Finally, when buying rail moulding, one will want to choose ones that are durable. Otherwise, not only will they fall apart and cause problems, but they will cost the homeowner plenty of cash in the long run. To test the durability, simply look at the chair rail moulding and make an assessment. Then, when doing this and reading reviews, a homeowner will buy the right moulding for his or her project. If this doesn’t do the trick or one can’t find answers, they can talk to one of our specialists who can offer his or her honest assessment.

A homeowner needs to know how to choose the right chair rail moulding. Otherwise, if one doesn’t know how to proceed, he or she will waste a lot of time, money and effort on something that won’t work in the long run.

How to Paint Stairs

If your staircase is showing signs of wear and tear, why not give it a fresh, new look with paint. With a little time and preparation, you can create a spectacular staircase that will add unique design appeal to your home. This easy guide on how to paint stairs will get you started.

Gather Your Tools

* tape measure or ruler
* carpenter's square or angle
* pencil
* utility knife
* painter's tape
* square paintbrush and paint tray
* paint and primer

Preparing the Stairs

Carpet – If your stairs are carpeted, you'll need to remove the carpet and remove tack strips, nails or staples. Fill any holes or gaps with spackling paste, smooth it out even with the stair tread, then let it dry. If there's plywood under the carpet, you don't need to sand the surface.

Hardwood – If your stairs are hardwood, you'll need to give them a light sanding to remove the sheen from wax or sealers. You want to provide a slightly rough finish that will absorb the primer and paint.

Tape and Prime

Painter's Tape – After you finish the prep work, you're ready to tape and prime the stairs. Using your painter's tape, carefully tape around all stair edges that butt up to a wall, on one side or both sides, to keep the primer and paint off the walls. If you're painting the stair treads and risers, you don't need tape further, but if you're only painting the stairs treads you'll need to tape below each tread to keep paint off of the risers.

Primer – Choose a good quality primer/sealer and apply one or two coats to cover stair surfaces. Let each coat dry thoroughly (overnight is best) before applying your paint. You can skip a separate primer by choosing an all-in-one paint and primer. When applying primer, the job will go faster with a roller, but a paintbrush will be easier and neater.

Paint

Choose your desired paint color in a flat, eggshell or semigloss finish. Cover 1/3 to 1/2 of your brush with paint and then remove excess. Starting at the back of the tread, apply paint lengthwise across the stair with one long stroke. Start the second stroke next to the first stroke and continue down the staircase. Apply paint with light, even strokes until stairs are finished. Let the staircase dry, preferably for a couple of days, before you use the stairs.

Guide to a Kitchen Cabinet Remodel

The Best Guide to a Kitchen Cabinet Remodel
Homeowners need assistance when it comes to kitchen cabinet remodel planning. There are so many variables to consider. The best guide to a kitchen cabinet remodel comes from the artisans who craft kitchen cabinets and possess skill and experience in assisting their customers with selecting woods, sizes, style, quantity of kitchen cabinets and top quality installation.

The Kitchen Cabinet Remodel - A Dream Come True
For many homeowners, replacing old kitchen cabinets is a dream come true. Kitchen cabinets speak volumes of the attention to detail homeowners place on the one room of the house that is most frequently in use. The professional kitchen cabinet craftsmen can help redesign the configuration of kitchen cabinets to be installed. They also make recommendations on the best woods, doors and hardware based on the frequency of use. The important part of a kitchen cabinet remodel is having the proper number of cabinets installed safely and securely. With the innovations in cabinetry available today, your remodel expert can solve the problem of those unused angles a kitchen may have. The beauty of contemporary cabinetry is that it is as functional as it is beautiful.

The Kitchen Cabinet Remodel Expert
The best kitchen cabinet remodel expert is one who has a recognized reputation for highest quality products and excellent customer service. Look for cabinets manufactured by top name kitchen cabinet manufacturers. Also, check the brand names for hardware. This will insure customer satisfaction and that cabinets and hardware meet style preferences. Choose cabinets for convenience and to highlight walls and flooring. Customers can select dark or light woods with laminated surfaces that require less maintenance. In addition, cabinets are available with glass or solid doors. The overall effect of cabinet installation is to give the kitchen a new look that fits into today's modern kitchen designs.

Other Accessories
To create a symmetrical kitchen design, other accessories, like space fillers and moldings are features that can be added. Hardware also provides a style accent in ultra modern, traditional or the country look that's so popular in today's kitchens.

How to Prep Window Boxes for Fall

Properly maintained window boxes can add a touch of color and charm to any home, and in the spring and summertime maintenance of window boxes is relatively straightforward. With the approach of fall and crisper temperatures, it may be tempting to give up on the window boxes so meticulously maintained the rest of the growing season. Giving up is not necessary, and doing so eliminates a great chance for creativity and festivity.

Planting and maintaining window boxes for the fall, while often overlooked, is actually typically easier than doing so in the warmer months. Less watering is usually required and general maintenance of fall plants is typically less.

Pumpkins and Gourds
Pumpkins and gourds come in a nearly limitless supply of shapes, sizes, and colors. As an added benefit, they are in abundance in the fall season. Small pumpkins and gourds can be grown or purchased from just about any nursery, garden center, or grocery store. Simply arrange them in the window box for a festive addition.

Kale and Cabbage
Cold hardy vegetables, such as kale and cabbage are not merely green leaves. They come in a wide variety of colors, including greens, blues, purples, and reds. While some varieties have been bred for purely decorative purposes, many are still edible and extremely nutritious. The colors tend to brighten as the weather cools.

Peppers
Another edible idea for the fall window box is peppers. Sweet peppers come in a myriad of colors and sizes. While this is not a feasible option for more northern climates, those living in milder areas can enjoy the color, tastiness, and nutrition of sweet peppers well into the fall. The first frost will kill the peppers, but if brought indoors can often thrive throughout the winter.

Mums and Other Decorative Plants
Mums are arguably the most common fall flowers and come in a fantastic array of colors. These are a great option for window boxes. Other flowering plants to consider include sedum and verbena. Boxwoods can be planted in boxes and will remain evergreen throughout the winter. They can then easily be transplanted into the ground when spring arrives.

Don't be afraid to be creative and try new things in your window box this fall. Hopefully this sampling of ideas will give you some great ideas!

Preparing Your House Exterior for the Fall

As the weather starts to get colder, there are many things around the house that need to be fixed up to prepare your house exterior for the fall. From readying your home for colder temperatures to guarding against treacherous and unpredictable weather conditions, you can do a lot to protect yourself from unnecessary issues.

Fall means colder temperatures are on their way. To save yourself from expensive energy bills, you want to make sure that your home is energy efficient and appropriately sealed for the fall. Check all windows and doors around your home and take note of any issues you find. Are there cracks in the window frames? Are there gaps between your door and door jambs? All of these things can cause you to lose heat when you run your furnace again. Fixing these minor issues with weather stripping and caulk, and sealing up your windows with window wraps are inexpensive ways to keep the heat in your home.

Since leaves are a huge headache in the fall, you want to prepare your house by doing a full inspection of your gutters and cleaning out your gutters and downspouts. Add a sturdy mesh gutter guard to keep debris and leaves from clogging your gutters this fall, and you will be saved plenty of headaches when the leaves are coming down.

If you have outdoor faucets or an in-ground irrigation system around your home, you want to ensure that these are taken care of properly so that they do not freeze and burst. Turn off the shut-off valves that lead to these faucets and drain the line to ensure that all the water is out. You can also purchase outdoor faucet covers if you are unable to shut off the valve. Look into your options to decide which is best for your home.

There are many important steps you need to take to prepare your house exterior for the fall. Taking these simple steps can save you money down the line by protecting your home from easily preventable issues. Enjoy the beauty of fall without worrying about your home!

What to Look for When Replacing Cabinets

Your kitchen looks old and tired, not that inviting room that it once was, so it's time for a makeover. Along with new flooring, counter tops and lighting, one of the most important elements are new cabinets. Heading to a showroom can bring confusion as everything there is perfect with no scratches or dings on any surface, no clutter on the counters. It all looks so good, but is it really?

What looks good in the showroom may not necessarily last in your kitchen. Well-made kitchen cabinets are like good furniture in that quality is not always apparent at first glance. Replacing cabinets with a quality installation isn't difficult if you know what to look for. All well-made cabinets have certain characteristics, no matter what their price point.

For cabinet faces, avoid any products that have defects like knots, pitch pockets, scars, irregularities in wood grain or noticeable color changes. Look for drawer fronts made from a single piece of wood. Pass up flat front that are not made of solid wood. End panels on the exposed side of the cabinet, should be made of solid wood with similar grain and color. All frame pieces should have mortise-and-tenon joinery, with screws driven from the inside out attach the carcass to the assembled panel.

Drawers will have hardwood sides that are at least 5/8-inch thick and will be groove routed to support a base. Joints will have dovetails at all corners. The carcass, the plywood box that forms the interior, should have side and floor panels that are at least 1/2-inch thick and shelves that are minimally 3/4-inch thick.

Small details are just as important. Hinges should be strong and adjustable to promote alignment. Floating panels around doors and on the sides should have deep grooves that allow the wood to expand and contract with temperature and humidity changes. Look for drawers with two side-mounted slides for more support. Strong frame-to-carcass joints are also essential for overall sturdiness. Shelves should be supported by metal, not plastic brackets and have locking devices such as plastic retainer plugs for stability.

How Do I Install A Cupola?

Cupolas not only make gorgeous additions to a home, they're also easy to install. To install a cupola, screw two boards onto the roof, and straddle the roof with each board while making sure both boards are flat against the roof. Homeowners should also be sure that the boards are centered on the roof's peak. Once the boards are marked, another screw is placed on the roof pitch.

Next, remove the screws that hold the metal side panels of the base, but keep them to be reattached later on. Draw a line down the base's center and more lines from each corner to the center line. These are cutting lines, and when they're finished, use a jigsaw to cut from the corners to the center. If there's a ridge vent on the roof where the cupola is going, then the best thing to do is have the vent removed and replaced with cap shingles.

The next step to installing a cupola is to place several 2x4 pieces just inside the cupola base's inside walls and have them screwed into the roof. Next, it's time to install the cupola itself by placing the base on the 2x4 pieces and screwing it into place with the screws from earlier. To keep leaks at bay, a layer of silicone caulk will be needed where the base meets the roof. All that needs to be done now is to attach the mid-section to the base and the top section to the mid-section. If it comes with pre-drilled holes, simply place screws of the required size inside. If it doesn't, then use a cordless drill to drill holes where they're needed. These holes will also require a small amount of silicone caulk placed on them. With that, the job's done, and the cupola can stand proudly for many years to come.