Home of DIY Doers - our mission is to get do-it-yourself projects get done and accomplished
August 4, 2015
How To Clean Headlights Foggy - 3M Headlight Restoration Kit Cleaner - Car Automotive DIY
How To Clean Headlights Foggy - 3M Headlight Restoration Kit Cleaner - Car Automotive DIY
How to clean headlights in your vehicle with foggy headlights using 3M Headlight Restoration Kit Cleaner. Video above is showing the kit, the tools we use, and the step by step process on how to perform this car automotive DIY project of how to restore headlights in your automobile.
May 15, 2015
Honeywell Thermostat Wiring - How To Wire Programmable Thermostats - Heater Air Conditioner HVAC Furnace
Honeywell Thermostat Wiring - How To Wire Programmable Thermostats - Heater Air Conditioner HVAC Furnace
The video above will show you a do-it-yourself / DIY method of replacing your heater and air conditioner HVAC furnace thermostats. This will show you an actual Honeywell thermostat wiring, specifically how to wire programmable thermostats, gas or electric.
July 25, 2010
Expensive Versus Affordable Fixtures
Sometimes, people think that in order to achieve huge impact in the home decorating, you need to spend plenty of money buying the most expensive fixtures and accessories to replace the existing ones. But nowadays, we have wide variety of product options to choose from both expensive and not expensive, so we just have to shop smartly and wisely. More affordable fixtures and accessories can do wonders just like the expensive ones.
For those who have plenty of budget, being able to get the best quality is an easier task because quality products made with really lasting materials and good-looking finishes come with higher prices. But the more affordable items are becoming more competitive with their workmanship and can compete with the expensive ones as far as style and function.
Having plenty of budget is not always the case for everybody when it comes to home decorating and home renovation. The good new is, buying the most expensive one does not always mean its best solution for you. For instance, it doesn't make sense to buy a $500 faucet when your sink, cabinetry, and countertop will be out-of-place especially when you are not thinking of upgrading them too. If you have a laminated countertop, a really nice chrome-finished faucet that is priced around $50-$150 will work wonders too instead of buying a $500 faucet. One really good thing to consider is to buy the same finish as the rest of your hardwares and fixtures in the room or the whole house, so that you achieve uniformity and its more pleasant to the eyes.
Same goes with shopping for windows and doors. We originally had hollow plywood-type doors that we replaced with a nice stylish Santa Fe doors. It only cost less than $100 per door compare to the custom ones which is around $500-$1000. I love the look of custom doors specially the wood works but for what we need and with the budget that we had, the Santa Fe doors work really well with the space as well, it has style and it served its function really well too.
Written by Jazevox
For those who have plenty of budget, being able to get the best quality is an easier task because quality products made with really lasting materials and good-looking finishes come with higher prices. But the more affordable items are becoming more competitive with their workmanship and can compete with the expensive ones as far as style and function.
Having plenty of budget is not always the case for everybody when it comes to home decorating and home renovation. The good new is, buying the most expensive one does not always mean its best solution for you. For instance, it doesn't make sense to buy a $500 faucet when your sink, cabinetry, and countertop will be out-of-place especially when you are not thinking of upgrading them too. If you have a laminated countertop, a really nice chrome-finished faucet that is priced around $50-$150 will work wonders too instead of buying a $500 faucet. One really good thing to consider is to buy the same finish as the rest of your hardwares and fixtures in the room or the whole house, so that you achieve uniformity and its more pleasant to the eyes.
Same goes with shopping for windows and doors. We originally had hollow plywood-type doors that we replaced with a nice stylish Santa Fe doors. It only cost less than $100 per door compare to the custom ones which is around $500-$1000. I love the look of custom doors specially the wood works but for what we need and with the budget that we had, the Santa Fe doors work really well with the space as well, it has style and it served its function really well too.
Written by Jazevox
March 27, 2009
Buying A Real Estate Property In Tough Economic Time
The housing market for the past few years have been slow as an indirect or direct result of the declining economy. During this tight economic time, most families are tight in budget and the one thing that many people are afraid of is taking a risk of buying a real estate property to either live in or invest into. But with the ballooning housing inventories available these days and lesser buyers willing to take risk, there is definitely more supplies than demand. When there is more supplies than demand in home inventories, most home prices tend to be lower and more affordable due to the huge amount of inventories that have been idle for months with no selling activities and many sellers need to sell.
If you been considering to buy your own home for years and been looking for a house to purchase, this time might be the right time to buy specially if you have the means and income which will possibly qualify you for a proper financing to be able to purchase a house. What is better time to buy than this time, when home prices are low and there are huge selections of properties to choose from. Some home prices have been slashed in almost half the price of what they were originally valued for just few years ago.
Buying a property in a down economy could mean finally owning your own home and saving you thousands if not hundreds of thousands of dollars. When inventories are high and prices are low, it is definitely a buyers market. One of the best time to buy a house and save big is to purchase a property in a buyers market, when both bidding war and buying competitions are minimal if not non-existing.
Written by Jazevox
Thank you for your visit here today, hope to see you again in the near future!
If you been considering to buy your own home for years and been looking for a house to purchase, this time might be the right time to buy specially if you have the means and income which will possibly qualify you for a proper financing to be able to purchase a house. What is better time to buy than this time, when home prices are low and there are huge selections of properties to choose from. Some home prices have been slashed in almost half the price of what they were originally valued for just few years ago.
Buying a property in a down economy could mean finally owning your own home and saving you thousands if not hundreds of thousands of dollars. When inventories are high and prices are low, it is definitely a buyers market. One of the best time to buy a house and save big is to purchase a property in a buyers market, when both bidding war and buying competitions are minimal if not non-existing.
Written by Jazevox
Thank you for your visit here today, hope to see you again in the near future!
February 5, 2009
Staging Home For Sale
Trying to sell a house, regardless if it is an investment property or someones residence for many years, creates many challenges not only to the selling agent who takes the responsibility to list and sell the property but also to the homeowners who face with all types of emotions and uncertainties like asking questions: Will somebody buy my house? How much my house will be sold for?
Homes for sale being converted as sold homes is something that no one can exactly predict when it will happen, it can be a matter of days, weeks, months or even years. With the existing market, where there is more supplies than demands, considering all the mounting inventories available in almost different parts of the US, the competition is stiff and high. Inorder for anyone trying to sell her/his property faster than his/her comparable properties, the property need to be very competitive and stands out among the comparables.
Considering comparables with the same asking prices and similar square footage, one way to help a property stand out better and have better chances of getting offers and possibly bidding war is by making the property look at its best as a product. Presenting a house for sale as a product means making it as presentable as possible, highlighting its best features and assets.
One way to highlight a house for sale is by staging it. Home staging has been widely popularized in the past few years. Although, its been existing and practiced for a long time, its only been popularly known and widely encouraged in recent years to all those who try to sell their house or properties. Staging a home is dressing up the house to highlights its best features and assets and minimize its flaw and make the negatives forgetable or unnoticable.
Each house for sale have different characteristic and current state that it is almost impossible to know how much it will cost to stage a house. Home staging can cost from zero (0) to thousands of dollars, depending on what changes you want to make in the interior design. Simple decluttering and depersonalizing of the house by removing unnecessary and distracting decors and other items that will not help make a sale, removing family photos and personalized items, or re-arranging furnitures are some ways to stage a house without spending a lot of money but will help make your house more presentable and sellable.
©JAZEVOX. All Rights Reserved.
Written by Jazevox
Homes for sale being converted as sold homes is something that no one can exactly predict when it will happen, it can be a matter of days, weeks, months or even years. With the existing market, where there is more supplies than demands, considering all the mounting inventories available in almost different parts of the US, the competition is stiff and high. Inorder for anyone trying to sell her/his property faster than his/her comparable properties, the property need to be very competitive and stands out among the comparables.
Considering comparables with the same asking prices and similar square footage, one way to help a property stand out better and have better chances of getting offers and possibly bidding war is by making the property look at its best as a product. Presenting a house for sale as a product means making it as presentable as possible, highlighting its best features and assets.
One way to highlight a house for sale is by staging it. Home staging has been widely popularized in the past few years. Although, its been existing and practiced for a long time, its only been popularly known and widely encouraged in recent years to all those who try to sell their house or properties. Staging a home is dressing up the house to highlights its best features and assets and minimize its flaw and make the negatives forgetable or unnoticable.
Each house for sale have different characteristic and current state that it is almost impossible to know how much it will cost to stage a house. Home staging can cost from zero (0) to thousands of dollars, depending on what changes you want to make in the interior design. Simple decluttering and depersonalizing of the house by removing unnecessary and distracting decors and other items that will not help make a sale, removing family photos and personalized items, or re-arranging furnitures are some ways to stage a house without spending a lot of money but will help make your house more presentable and sellable.
©JAZEVOX. All Rights Reserved.
Written by Jazevox
January 6, 2009
Real Estate Headaches
Regardless of when or where, indulging in real estate investing can be a risky business because you never know what comes your way in the future, factors that may affect the overall value and outcome of the real estate properties.
Most of the ones that are hardest hit in times of the existing slowing of the economy are the homeowners and the real estate investors because of the declining value of home values nowadays. As a result of home values declining rapidly these past few years, some homeowners owe more than what the current home value of their homes. Being in a situation like this is not easy, and it is definitely hard to maintain a positive attitude in times like this that someday, some way, home prices will go back up again. It maybe hard to look in the future side of real estate when there is a current mortgage due that need to be paid monthly and facing the fact that you are paying a house mortgage that currently more than what is the current market value.
In most areas, there are definitely great chance that home value will go back up again, its just a matter of when. For real estate investors, if it is bearable to keep your investment property while the market is down, its probably the better. But if you have no other choice but to sell your property very soon because of financial hardship, you might have to expect lower asking price. You might have to expect to accept lower price that will hopefully make you just break even or probably be willing to loss some money, in order to sell it.
The good news is home values in most areas can go up again. What many people undergo right now, in this slowing economy, is a temporary situation, but at the same time requires wise decision and planning in order to come out of such temporary bad situation a winner and gaining something.
Written by Jazevox
Thanks for visiting my blogs today. hope to see you again!
Most of the ones that are hardest hit in times of the existing slowing of the economy are the homeowners and the real estate investors because of the declining value of home values nowadays. As a result of home values declining rapidly these past few years, some homeowners owe more than what the current home value of their homes. Being in a situation like this is not easy, and it is definitely hard to maintain a positive attitude in times like this that someday, some way, home prices will go back up again. It maybe hard to look in the future side of real estate when there is a current mortgage due that need to be paid monthly and facing the fact that you are paying a house mortgage that currently more than what is the current market value.
In most areas, there are definitely great chance that home value will go back up again, its just a matter of when. For real estate investors, if it is bearable to keep your investment property while the market is down, its probably the better. But if you have no other choice but to sell your property very soon because of financial hardship, you might have to expect lower asking price. You might have to expect to accept lower price that will hopefully make you just break even or probably be willing to loss some money, in order to sell it.
The good news is home values in most areas can go up again. What many people undergo right now, in this slowing economy, is a temporary situation, but at the same time requires wise decision and planning in order to come out of such temporary bad situation a winner and gaining something.
Written by Jazevox
Thanks for visiting my blogs today. hope to see you again!
November 21, 2008
Crown Molding And Ceiling Vents
Crown molding are highly desirable these days, they make a room more finished and classic. For new home constructions, crown molding placement may already be a part of the plan and may pose no conflict with the location of the air vents. But for older homes, that were originally built with no crown molding, and crown molding was not a consideration in the past, the location of the vents placed in the ceilings may sometimes interfere with the placement of the new crown moldings. Having ceiling vents placed way too close to the edge of ceiling, just an inch or two near the walls, may complicate the idea of adding a crown molding. If you are serious about adding crown molding to a room with vents placed too close to the edge of the ceilings, these vents may need to be moved in order to give clearance to the crown moldings. But moving the air vents may not sound as easy at it look because hidden above the attic, on the other side of the ceiling vents, are huge ducting system attached to these vents that will make vents moving a complicated process, specially when you need to move the vents some feet away, in different part of the ceiling.
©JAZEVOX. All Rights Reserved.
Written by Jazevox
©JAZEVOX. All Rights Reserved.
Written by Jazevox
November 6, 2008
Buying Store Display Products
One of the most expensive renovation in many houses is usually the kitchen area which can easily range from $5000 to $50,000. Most homeowners nowadays demand top-notch, high quality kitchen cabinets, state-of-the-art home appliances like refrigerator, dishwasher, and stove range. But these things don't come cheap at all. Most double door stainless steel refrigerator can range anywhere from $1000 to $3000, depending on brand, quality, performance, and added features. Dishwasher prices range anywhere from $200 to $1500 depending on variety of factors like branding, functions, design, maker, etc. One, if not the most expensive expense in kitchen renovation is cabinetries and countertops which can range anywhere from $1000 to $25,000 depending widely on quality, material, as well as branding and added functionalities and state-of-the-art upgrades and conveniences features like lazy susan in corner cabinets, pull-out drawers, etc.
Although, it is not widely advisable for everyone because you sometimes compromise best quality and flawless product, but buying store displays clearance can sometimes be great finds because they are mostly great bargains. Stores sometimes clearance off old store displays of their products in order to replace it with new models and new arrivals. Although, some clearance items have damages and have signs of wear and tear from all the store customers examining such product displays, but most of these items are never been used before, and work just like brand new items fresh from the box! Minor scratches and bents maybe bothersome at times, but with savings of more than fifty (50) percent off or possibly more, sometimes it is worth dealing with little flaws and boxless products.
We recently bought a store display customed cabinets for more than 70 percent off the store listing price, it was such a great deal. It is in great shape, some little scratches in some of the wood, but the overall appearance is great and they still look very high-end. Although, we needed to modify the layout of the cabinets and countertops in order to fit with the kitchen we are working on, with some rearranging and few ommision of cabinets, we were able to work the clearanced store display cabinets and make it work with the kitchen. On the positive note, it is great to have a high quality cabinets without paying the high price.
The only pitfall with buying store display clearance items is that you have to learn to deal with imperfections, damages, and flaws sometimes, other times just boxless. To get an amazing deal, clearance buyer may need to do some thinking and lots of creativity to make the item work with the existing place somehow. Because with clearance items, what you see is what you get, there are not a lot of choices, you need to think outside the box and think of ways to make it work. If you cannot find ways to make it work, another option is to pay the full regular store price and save the headache :-)
Written by Jazevox
Although, it is not widely advisable for everyone because you sometimes compromise best quality and flawless product, but buying store displays clearance can sometimes be great finds because they are mostly great bargains. Stores sometimes clearance off old store displays of their products in order to replace it with new models and new arrivals. Although, some clearance items have damages and have signs of wear and tear from all the store customers examining such product displays, but most of these items are never been used before, and work just like brand new items fresh from the box! Minor scratches and bents maybe bothersome at times, but with savings of more than fifty (50) percent off or possibly more, sometimes it is worth dealing with little flaws and boxless products.
We recently bought a store display customed cabinets for more than 70 percent off the store listing price, it was such a great deal. It is in great shape, some little scratches in some of the wood, but the overall appearance is great and they still look very high-end. Although, we needed to modify the layout of the cabinets and countertops in order to fit with the kitchen we are working on, with some rearranging and few ommision of cabinets, we were able to work the clearanced store display cabinets and make it work with the kitchen. On the positive note, it is great to have a high quality cabinets without paying the high price.
The only pitfall with buying store display clearance items is that you have to learn to deal with imperfections, damages, and flaws sometimes, other times just boxless. To get an amazing deal, clearance buyer may need to do some thinking and lots of creativity to make the item work with the existing place somehow. Because with clearance items, what you see is what you get, there are not a lot of choices, you need to think outside the box and think of ways to make it work. If you cannot find ways to make it work, another option is to pay the full regular store price and save the headache :-)
Written by Jazevox
October 23, 2008
Quest For Kitchen Cabinets
Replacing kitchen cabinet and make a kitchen look more current and up-to-date is one of my favorite job in a home renovation. Kitchen renovation is one of the most important changes in a home renovation specially when it comes to selling homes. Equally important to put a lot of thought and budget into is the master bathroom or all the bathrooms in the house.
One key item that will hugely affect the overall result of a kitchen renovation is the style and quality of the kitchen cabinets. There are several choices and styles of cabinetries to choose from, that is why it is not the easiest job to decide which one works the best. One major factor that widely influence someone's decision to choosing kitchen cabinets is the budget. Kitchen cabinets for a 10 feet by 10 feet kitchen can range anywhere from $1,000 to $30,000 depending on the cabinetry components and materials the cabinets are made of. Quality, design, manufacturer and branding also widely influence the cabinetry pricing.
There are plenty of choices when it comes to cabinetries. Knowing your budget and the maximum amount you can spend on it, will largely influence the type of kitchen cabinetry that will end up in your kitchen. Commonly, custom and special order cabinets are usually more expensive compare to the ones that are ready-made and already available in the store shelvings.
Sometimes, higher prices is not always the best ones that may work the best in someone's kitchen. In a design point of view, the colors and stained, design and style of the cabinets needs to work with the appliances and the wall paint as well. Personally, choosing kitchen cabinet may not be the easiest decision there is, but it is definitely a fun process (i think), and seeing the kitchen overall result and seeing everything all come together is a rewarding experience.
©JAZEVOX. All Rights Reserved.
Written by Jazevox
One key item that will hugely affect the overall result of a kitchen renovation is the style and quality of the kitchen cabinets. There are several choices and styles of cabinetries to choose from, that is why it is not the easiest job to decide which one works the best. One major factor that widely influence someone's decision to choosing kitchen cabinets is the budget. Kitchen cabinets for a 10 feet by 10 feet kitchen can range anywhere from $1,000 to $30,000 depending on the cabinetry components and materials the cabinets are made of. Quality, design, manufacturer and branding also widely influence the cabinetry pricing.
There are plenty of choices when it comes to cabinetries. Knowing your budget and the maximum amount you can spend on it, will largely influence the type of kitchen cabinetry that will end up in your kitchen. Commonly, custom and special order cabinets are usually more expensive compare to the ones that are ready-made and already available in the store shelvings.
Sometimes, higher prices is not always the best ones that may work the best in someone's kitchen. In a design point of view, the colors and stained, design and style of the cabinets needs to work with the appliances and the wall paint as well. Personally, choosing kitchen cabinet may not be the easiest decision there is, but it is definitely a fun process (i think), and seeing the kitchen overall result and seeing everything all come together is a rewarding experience.
©JAZEVOX. All Rights Reserved.
Written by Jazevox
October 17, 2008
Painting Task Today
I was painting the ceiling today and consumed a little more than a gallon of paint. I was using a regular paint roller, so it was a little messy to handle specially that there is no drip catcher that comes with the roller design. But the extension pole helped a lot, eliminating the need to use a scaffolding or a ladder entirely. I personally think that using a ladder or scaffolding while painting a ceiling can be dangerous at times and complicates ceiling painting all together. My painting job was not too bad, just required a lot of patience with the preparation, trying to cover all the furnishings and items that i didn't want any paint drips.
The good thing is, we recently bought a new non-stick paint tray that eliminate the need to wash it up with water after painting. The non-stick tray is such a great product, it saves me time and water during clean-up specially that the paint tray is usually the biggest painting tool in a regular painting job, and it eats up a lot of water trying to clean it up, not to mention scrubbing hardened paint residues! With non-stick paint tray, it is so easy, just let the paint dry in the tray after a painting job, and peel off dried paint afterward! I absolutely salute the person who thought of this idea, definitely time-saving tool!
Hint: Although the non-stick tray works really good with regular paint, basing on my experience, primer did not work really well with the non-stick tray.
Written by Jazevox
The good thing is, we recently bought a new non-stick paint tray that eliminate the need to wash it up with water after painting. The non-stick tray is such a great product, it saves me time and water during clean-up specially that the paint tray is usually the biggest painting tool in a regular painting job, and it eats up a lot of water trying to clean it up, not to mention scrubbing hardened paint residues! With non-stick paint tray, it is so easy, just let the paint dry in the tray after a painting job, and peel off dried paint afterward! I absolutely salute the person who thought of this idea, definitely time-saving tool!
Hint: Although the non-stick tray works really good with regular paint, basing on my experience, primer did not work really well with the non-stick tray.
Written by Jazevox
October 15, 2008
Mini Blinds For Privacy
The new windows that we installed looks great. We installed double-paned with grid vinyl windows, and its an high energy efficient design.
But there are times, no matter how nice the view is outside, there instances that we need privacy specially in the evening, when it is dark outside and we have the lights on. To resolve the issue of privacy with the glass windows, we decided to install room-darkening mini blinds. Room darkening mini-blinds is great for being out of the way in the morning, and serves its purpose in the evening or at anytime when needed.
The good thing about mini-blinds is that they are very flexible, you can collapse it, adjust the angle of the blinds for light and view control, and if the mini-blinds are installed within the framing of the window, it can also work together with curtains!
©JAZEVOX. All Rights Reserved.
Written by Jazevox
But there are times, no matter how nice the view is outside, there instances that we need privacy specially in the evening, when it is dark outside and we have the lights on. To resolve the issue of privacy with the glass windows, we decided to install room-darkening mini blinds. Room darkening mini-blinds is great for being out of the way in the morning, and serves its purpose in the evening or at anytime when needed.
The good thing about mini-blinds is that they are very flexible, you can collapse it, adjust the angle of the blinds for light and view control, and if the mini-blinds are installed within the framing of the window, it can also work together with curtains!
©JAZEVOX. All Rights Reserved.
Written by Jazevox
September 29, 2008
Challenges That Come With Replacing Windows
One of our building permit includes replacing windows in the house. The house has single pane windows with aluminum framing. When it comes to upgrading windows, single pane windows are probably considered obsolete nowadays, and the upgrades are mostly being dual pane windows, which are more energy efficient because it had better control and proven performance over the air around it, both hot and cold air. Dual pane windows keep the warm air in and keep the cold air out, and vise versa, which minimize the use of heating or air conditioning furnace to keep the room cool during summer or warm during winter.
By replacing windows using different sizes, part of the indoor walls, sheetrock, had to be cut off inorder to remove the old windows and place the new ones. So there could be plenty of patching of the interior walls or the sheetrock specially if you are replacing a window with a different size. Even more difficult is when the existing sheetrock have texture in them, which means that patched wall had to be textured as well to match with the existing texture. Texturing is not an easy task, you need to find the right texture that match with what is existing and price wise, they usually don't come cheap. A single spray can of texture cost around $12 to $15 that have coverage around 50 to 100 square feet, depending also if its used sparingly or economically. After the texture application, primed paint had to be applied before the colored wall paint can be applied. Paint color has to match the existing wall paint, or else the whole room wall need to be repainted so that it will not have multi-colored or patchy finished end product.
Another major challenge when replacing windows is when the new window had to be move to a new location, or move few inches away from the original location because the header above the existing window will be affected and had to be moved as well. And if the header will be move, you will have to deal with the wall studs as well, possibly add or relocate the 2x4 studs to properly support the new header location, the windows, etc.
But having new dual pane windows are definitely worth it! As simple as replacing windows have dramatic transformation in the look of your home.
Written by Jazevox
By replacing windows using different sizes, part of the indoor walls, sheetrock, had to be cut off inorder to remove the old windows and place the new ones. So there could be plenty of patching of the interior walls or the sheetrock specially if you are replacing a window with a different size. Even more difficult is when the existing sheetrock have texture in them, which means that patched wall had to be textured as well to match with the existing texture. Texturing is not an easy task, you need to find the right texture that match with what is existing and price wise, they usually don't come cheap. A single spray can of texture cost around $12 to $15 that have coverage around 50 to 100 square feet, depending also if its used sparingly or economically. After the texture application, primed paint had to be applied before the colored wall paint can be applied. Paint color has to match the existing wall paint, or else the whole room wall need to be repainted so that it will not have multi-colored or patchy finished end product.
Another major challenge when replacing windows is when the new window had to be move to a new location, or move few inches away from the original location because the header above the existing window will be affected and had to be moved as well. And if the header will be move, you will have to deal with the wall studs as well, possibly add or relocate the 2x4 studs to properly support the new header location, the windows, etc.
But having new dual pane windows are definitely worth it! As simple as replacing windows have dramatic transformation in the look of your home.
Written by Jazevox
September 27, 2008
Getting A Permit For Room Addition
We needed to have a laundry room and a master closet added to a house but doing so requires building permit here in CA. So we could not proceed with the project without having the permit approved and ready for actual implementation. To get the project up and running, we needed the permit, first by having the application submitted and have it approved by the building department of the city hall.
Getting the building permit in itself was a lot work. We were required to submit scaled drawing of different plans. There were all types of technical drawings that were required together with the permit application including plot pan, foundation plan, structural plan, roof plan, floor plan, electrical plan, and more. It was definitely a challenge and loads of work for me because I had to prepare all the drawings myself.
In the end, it was a relief to have the permit finally approved after second visit to the city hall. It took two (2) visits because there were additional drawings that were requested the first time. And CA laws requires Title 24 report for the particular permit that we were seeking.
©JAZEVOX. All Rights Reserved.
Written by Jazevox
Getting the building permit in itself was a lot work. We were required to submit scaled drawing of different plans. There were all types of technical drawings that were required together with the permit application including plot pan, foundation plan, structural plan, roof plan, floor plan, electrical plan, and more. It was definitely a challenge and loads of work for me because I had to prepare all the drawings myself.
In the end, it was a relief to have the permit finally approved after second visit to the city hall. It took two (2) visits because there were additional drawings that were requested the first time. And CA laws requires Title 24 report for the particular permit that we were seeking.
©JAZEVOX. All Rights Reserved.
Written by Jazevox
September 18, 2008
Buying Oops Paints
Earlier today we went to Lowes to buy some stuff for the house. We passed by a clearance isle in the painting department. Everytime we pass by in the painting department, we always try to check out their oops paint to make sure that we don't miss any great deals on some paints that we might need. Normally, a semi-gloss gallon of paint can cost around $19 to $27, depending on the brand. But with oops paints, most paints in a gallon is priced-to-sell at around $5, which is a huge deal compare to $19 to $27! The only pitfall about buying oops paint is that you get what is available, what is there is there. With oops paints, you really don't have a lot of choices. The reason why it is called oops paint in the first place is that the paint was mixed wrong (oops!) or whatever else is wrong with the paint (oops!).
Just for the record, we don't really buy every single oops paint there is. We only buy one when there are paint colors in the oops section that we like that we think we can use later on in a project or a job. There is really no reason to buy a bargain oops paint if we know that we can never use it even if it is a bargain price. It is not making sense to buy oops paint and ended up just storing it, taking valuable space, and after years of having it we will realize that it will never be used! So we only buy ones that we think we can use, or paint colors that we can bear to stare.
If you have limited budget for painting in one of your to-do project, why not check out the clearance section in a painting department, who knows, there might be a paint that will work for you, for a fraction of the cost. Saving, is never a bad thing :-)
Written by Jazevox
Just for the record, we don't really buy every single oops paint there is. We only buy one when there are paint colors in the oops section that we like that we think we can use later on in a project or a job. There is really no reason to buy a bargain oops paint if we know that we can never use it even if it is a bargain price. It is not making sense to buy oops paint and ended up just storing it, taking valuable space, and after years of having it we will realize that it will never be used! So we only buy ones that we think we can use, or paint colors that we can bear to stare.
If you have limited budget for painting in one of your to-do project, why not check out the clearance section in a painting department, who knows, there might be a paint that will work for you, for a fraction of the cost. Saving, is never a bad thing :-)
Written by Jazevox
August 10, 2008
Paints Combined Into One
We have several different color paints in our garage. The other day, we decided to check them out one by one, to see if there are anything we can use to paint a bedroom wall. Unfortunately, none of the colors were satisfactory enough, paints were either too dark or too light. We even tested each paint in the wall, walls where we wanted to paint, to see how the color would appear if applied in the wall, but none of the paints worked. Most of the paints we have in the garage come from all different sources, some were leftovers from old painting projects, others were bought in the opps paint sections of stores that we couldn't resist the prices, while others were special orders with high prices but we changed our mind about the color and couldn't return the paint and decided not to use it. All different reasons how and why each paint ended up in the garage, in the effort to find a common ground and a use for it, since most of the paints have been stored for awhile unused, and who-knows-when we are going to really use it individually. We decided to mix some of the paints, the same type paints, all water-based, indoor and acrylic. We decided to combine the dark orangy color with the white and the cream ones, hoping to achieve a lighter version of the dark orange. In the end, we ended up with a nice lively peachy color, which we ended up using by painting it in the bedroom wall.
When you try to mix different colored paints, do make sure that they are the same types and classifications, to make sure that it will mix properly and not flake on you, etc.
Written by Jazevox
All rights reserved.
When you try to mix different colored paints, do make sure that they are the same types and classifications, to make sure that it will mix properly and not flake on you, etc.
Written by Jazevox
All rights reserved.
Do not copy this article. Do not republished this article without any written permission.
August 3, 2008
Test Paint Before You Paint
We recently bought a customized colored paint for used in kitchen and bath. Before we made the purchased, we checked how the paint swatch will work with the existing wall and floor tiles in the bathroom by putting the swatch next to a tile piece, it was perfect combo, so we thought. The color swatch was a nice shade of green that went really well with the tile, which is an exact match of the existing tiles in the bathroom. We decided not to buy a paint test sample by the quart to test the color we choose, basically just went with how they went together visually, side by side in pieces. When we got the customized paint ordered, the color matched perfectly with the paint swatch, so we painted the bathroom wall with it. After the painting was done, the green paint in the wall looked very yellowish as the natural sunlight goes through the window. The existing lighting of the bathroom didn't help either, the painted wall definitely didn't look the same as the color we ordered because the lighting of the bathroom changed the shade of the green into yellowish.
Lesson learned, it is always a good idea to buy a quart of paint with the desired color before purchasing by the gallons, specially if you are planning to purchase five (5) gallons or more. By running a sample painting, not only will it save you money when it wont turn out as expected, but save you lots of time and effort as well. With all the effort and time it took to paint and had to change to another color after that definitely consumed a lot of time and sweat and the remaining unwanted paint will be unusable and usually cannot be returned because most stores do not allow special orders or customized paint colors to be returned.
So if you are planning to refresh a room or two by painting the walls, it might not hurt to run a test painting in the same wall first where you are planning to paint to make sure that the paint color you choose will still look as you expect with the electrical lighting and the natural sunlight that goes through the room. Best yet, check the test paint at different times of day to make sure that the new paint color you choose work well both day and night!
©JAZEVOX. All Rights Reserved.
Written by Jazevox
Please do not copy. Please do not republished without any written permission from author.
Lesson learned, it is always a good idea to buy a quart of paint with the desired color before purchasing by the gallons, specially if you are planning to purchase five (5) gallons or more. By running a sample painting, not only will it save you money when it wont turn out as expected, but save you lots of time and effort as well. With all the effort and time it took to paint and had to change to another color after that definitely consumed a lot of time and sweat and the remaining unwanted paint will be unusable and usually cannot be returned because most stores do not allow special orders or customized paint colors to be returned.
So if you are planning to refresh a room or two by painting the walls, it might not hurt to run a test painting in the same wall first where you are planning to paint to make sure that the paint color you choose will still look as you expect with the electrical lighting and the natural sunlight that goes through the room. Best yet, check the test paint at different times of day to make sure that the new paint color you choose work well both day and night!
©JAZEVOX. All Rights Reserved.
Written by Jazevox
Please do not copy. Please do not republished without any written permission from author.
July 26, 2008
Energy Efficiency Report
In order to determine and plan the overall energy consumption and efficiency of the whole state, applying for a permit for a home remodeling or room addition in CA may require a Title 24 Report, showing the performance of its units like the central air and heat, lightings, and other energy consuming devices. It is definitely more additional work and complication for a home flipper or contractor in order to obtain such report to get a permit approved. Just like a home inspection, a Title 24 Report requires a licensed or trained HERS Provider to analyze the report and such report will further undergo documentation review for accurrary before it will be forwarded to the city hall during the permit application process for approval making sure that the home remodeling or addition is in compliance with the energy efficiency standards. I guess the Title 24 Report will help ensure that each dwelling will be more energy efficient and consume less energy specially with the growing concern of global warming nowadays. Oh well, never filed for a Title 24 Report before, so its gonna be a learning process, as we go along.
Written by Jazevox
All Rights Reserved. Do not copy or republished without written permission.
Written by Jazevox
All Rights Reserved. Do not copy or republished without written permission.
July 19, 2008
Knocking Down Walls
People love the feeling of openness in their homes. A lot of times traditional rooms are separated by four cornered walls, but sometimes, walls separate you from the things that are happening in other rooms! There are times that a wall feels more closed in and makes you feel missed out from the fun and family activities. Nowadays, a lot of family wants an open feeling in their home, being able to see the kids or participate in the conversation with friends in the living room or dining area while cooking in the kitchen. Having a nice flow in foot traffic and having the house visually look larger is ideal for a lot of people these days, and one way to achieve these goals is by knocking down few walls that separate one room to another, and give it a new open feeling and smooth flowing. But before you get so excited and start knocking down walls, wait, knocking down walls maybe the design solution to eliminate the cramp and closed-in feeling, but be sure to consult a Structural Engineer first, to verify that the wall you are removing is not a load bearing wall! Bearing walls are functioning integral part of the whole house, so it cannot be easily remove without resupporting everything else that relies on those walls. Bearing walls maybe supporting your whole roof above or your second floor. So if you will blindly remove a load bearing wall without resupporting those loads first, it may cause your roof or second floor to collapse or sag, which you don't want to happen. So before getting so excited above removing those walls in order to achieve those open feeling, make sure that you properly consult with a license Structural Engineer in order to help you decide how to resupport all the existing loads that the existing bearing walls are carrying. Bearing walls or non-bearing walls, there is a way to knock them down, it just have to be done right and properly. One popular way to resupport all the loads of a bearing wall is by installing the right size beams. But beams installation can be a lot of hard labor and heavy task, and needs knowledgeable manpowers. Installing huge beams requires manpowers and requires temporary supports of existing loads while the beams are being placed. If you are willing to spend these extra costs and works of removing a wall or two, you can possibly achieve that open feeling in your home that you are aiming for.
©JAZEVOX. All Rights Reserved.
Written by Jazevox
©JAZEVOX. All Rights Reserved.
Written by Jazevox
Saving Those Original Hardwood Floors
When you buy older homes, lets say, houses that were built around 1960s to 1970s, it is more likely the you will uncover a genuine hardwood floors underneath those headious carpets! Nowadays, hardwood floors are a crowd favorite flooring for a lot of homeowners and buyers. But real hardwood floors nowadays cost a lot per square foot, easily ranging from $3 to $10 per square foot, and if you are lucky to have a hardwood floor hidden underneath an old ruined carpet that had seen better days, repolishing those hardwood floor maybe worth all the works to save it. There maybe a lot of other alternative as far as recreating the look of those hardwood floors like using laminate flooring or vinyl flooring with wood designs, but nothing can compare to have the original hardwood floors that originally came with the house when it was first built! If you are selling the house, hardwood floors that comes originally with the house is definitely a great selling feature and it is a definite hot item for many prospective buyers! You gain a lot of benefit by saving the original hardwood floors, not counting the cost you save if you have to recreate the same material, nowadays, this type of flooring will easily cost you a fortune. By saving the original hardwood floors and putting it back to its original glory can be quite a task for a house flipper or a house investor or a homeowner, but if sanded and properly stained or protected, all the effort that is put into saving those real hardwood floors maybe all worth it, not only because it looks great and natural, but also because it could save you tons of money trying to replace it with the same exact materials. So, if by all means, you uncover an original hardwood floors, it might be all worth it to save those genuine stuff!
Written by Jazevox
All Rights Reserved. Do not copy or republished without written permission.
Written by Jazevox
All Rights Reserved. Do not copy or republished without written permission.
June 28, 2008
Flooring Choices
When it comes to updating or changing the floor, there are so many choices out there. Among the popular ones are hardwood floor, laminate flooring, natural rocks, tiles, carpet, vinyl, etc. Deciding which one to choose is a major challenge for a house flipper or designer. One main factor that may largely affect someone's decision when it comes to flooring is the time and budget to renovate the floor.
Real hardwood floors are normally more expensive but definitely more desirable compare to wood laminate flooring. But both hardwood and laminate flooring will definitely make a nice upgrade and finish if installed and done right. Carpet flooring are widely desirable in areas like the bedrooms and family room, where people usually want to walk barefoot, but definitely won't work the best in bathrooms nor kitchen where they are normally wet areas. Deciding the right color of carpet is not an easy task specially that there are tons of choices out there and aside from color choices, there are also several different materials and textures that needs to be considered. The type and quality of carpet you choose will definitely affect your budget depends on the price point. Tiles and natural stones are great alternative, although they may be more complicated to install than other type of flooring but easier to maintain and clean. For wet areas like bathrooms and kitchen, ceramic tiles and natural stones are usually most prefered. Vinyl sidings are usually the most affordable but if you wish to speak quality and elegance to your potential home buyers, vinyl sidings might not be the best choice for this purpose. Like ceramic tiles, vinyl sidings are easy to clean and maintain.
©JAZEVOX. All Rights Reserved.
Written by Jazevox
Real hardwood floors are normally more expensive but definitely more desirable compare to wood laminate flooring. But both hardwood and laminate flooring will definitely make a nice upgrade and finish if installed and done right. Carpet flooring are widely desirable in areas like the bedrooms and family room, where people usually want to walk barefoot, but definitely won't work the best in bathrooms nor kitchen where they are normally wet areas. Deciding the right color of carpet is not an easy task specially that there are tons of choices out there and aside from color choices, there are also several different materials and textures that needs to be considered. The type and quality of carpet you choose will definitely affect your budget depends on the price point. Tiles and natural stones are great alternative, although they may be more complicated to install than other type of flooring but easier to maintain and clean. For wet areas like bathrooms and kitchen, ceramic tiles and natural stones are usually most prefered. Vinyl sidings are usually the most affordable but if you wish to speak quality and elegance to your potential home buyers, vinyl sidings might not be the best choice for this purpose. Like ceramic tiles, vinyl sidings are easy to clean and maintain.
©JAZEVOX. All Rights Reserved.
Written by Jazevox
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