Thinking About Upgrading a Skylight?

Skylights can be a great way to add natural light to your home. This can be especially useful for rooms that lack windows or that are otherwise blocked from getting much natural light. Unfortunately, skylights sometimes fall victim to the ravages of time and climate. This may leave you wondering whether you should upgrade or replace those skylights that have been in place for years. In some cases, this can be a pretty big undertaking, so here are a few things to consider before jumping into a skylight upgrade.

Reasons to Upgrade a Skylight

There are a number of issues that can arise with skylights that might prompt an upgrade or replacement. The most obvious is some damage occurring to the skylight from severe weather or other natural events. Even without external damage, though, skylights can also start to leak around the edge seams over time. This is especially prevalent in older skylights that were made with materials that are not as resistant to UV rays and weather as modern materials.

Leaks and damage aren’t the only reasons one might want to upgrade or replace a skylight, however. Some skylight materials can yellow or otherwise become discolored over time, resulting in cloudiness or a gradual decrease in the amount of light that shines through. Fixed-frame skylights were common at one point, but newer skylights may offer the ability to open them or can feature self-venting options to help manage heat buildup within the house. Older skylight designs may also not be as aesthetically pleasing as newer skylights, leading to homeowners wanting to replace them with something more modern that better fits the look of their home.

Skylight Upgrade Considerations

Regardless of the reason you might want to upgrade your skylight to something newer, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind when considering the type of replacement you want to get. The size of skylights can be deceiving given their angle and location, so proper measurements are vital to ensuring that you get the right size for your skylight replacement. Different skylight types may only be suitable for certain roof pitches as well, so this should be taken into consideration when picking one out to make sure that it won’t cause problems once installed. The materials used in modern skylights can also affect the strength, UV resistance, and overall look of the skylight, so this should be kept in mind when exploring skylight options.

Another important consideration is the timing of your skylight upgrade. Many homeowners who upgrade or replace older skylights often do so when planning other roof work such as a new shingle installation to allow all the work to be done at once. This also ensures that any warranties or guarantees for the skylight and the roof will be activated at the same time so that leaks or other problems can be taken care of regardless of which part of the roof or skylight they’re associated with.

Calling in the Pros

While it’s possible to replace or install a skylight yourself, it can be a real challenge if you don’t have previous experience with roofing or skylight installation. The work can be dangerous if you don’t know what to expect, and if installed incorrectly your new skylight can leak or suffer damage that can lead to even more costly repairs down the road. As a result, it’s often recommended that you hire a roofing contractor or skylight installation specialist to perform any upgrades or other installation work for your skylight.

Small Changes Make Big Bathroom Impacts

Nobody likes a small bathroom. Unfortunately, a lot of houses have them. If you live in a home with a bathroom that makes you feel a bit claustrophobic, you might think that there isn’t much you can do without some major (and majorly costly) renovations. This may not be the case, though. There are actually a number of small changes that you can make to your bathroom to make it not only appear bigger, but possibly even give you some more space to work with.

Bear in mind that some of these options are a matter of personal taste. You’ll need to think about how these would work with your own personal style preferences. With that said, even if you only use one or two of these suggestions, you may be surprised at how big of a change they can make in your bathroom … all without having to tear down a wall or anything.

Change Up the Look

The first thing that you should do is stop and take a good look at your bathroom. Are the walls some dark, unappealing color that was last seen in the wilds of the 1970s? Does the lighting give everything kind of a dull yellow tint or cast some big shadows everywhere? Did some unfortunate soul decide that the bathroom really was the place for some deep-pile carpeting? The look of your bathroom can have a big effect on how open (or not) it appears, and in many cases can make the bathroom seem smaller or more unpleasant than it actually is.

Some options for fixing this include adding mirrors (which are always useful in the bathroom anyway), painting or adding wallpaper to cover up dark or grungy walls, and replacing light fixtures with something that will give you a bit more illumination everywhere. Try painting one wall a different complementary color as an accent. Choose wallpaper with repeating patterns but also with ample open space between repetitions. Paint your cabinets or add light-colored veneer to help lighten up the space. The lighter and more inviting the bathroom is, the larger it will seem.

Revamp Your Storage

Another thing that can make a bathroom feel small is clutter. If every available surface seems covered with soaps, styling products, makeup, or manscaping tools, it’s going to trigger that part of your brain that doesn’t like crowded spaces every time you enter the room. This is where good storage can come into play, since it will give you a place for all that clutter, so you don’t have to just shove everything into an unorganized mess in the cabinet.

Consider installing rotating storage or under-shelf racks in your cabinets to make organizing easier. Adding a high shelf with a towel rack under it can also help, letting you move towels out of your cabinet and position them closer to your bath or shower without taking up precious floor space. Hanging a multi-panel medicine cabinet is also a great idea, since it gives you more storage for small items and medicines while also adding additional mirrors to the bathroom. Once you deal with some of the clutter on your surfaces, you’ll be surprised at how much more open the bathroom seems.

Bringing the Bathroom to Life

If you aren’t exactly sure how to revitalize your bathroom, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Painters and interior designers may have suggestions on how to change the look and functionality of your bathroom without breaking the bank and can assist you in picking colors and other options to really open the place up. They may have additional suggestions based on the actual layout of your bathroom as well, helping you to feel more comfortable in the bathroom without all the cost of significant renovation.

Clever Uses for Useless Spaces

There are a lot of areas around the home that may seem kind of useless or wasted. Partial dividing walls, areas below (or even above) a staircase, or little nooks or alcoves that were created by the house’s unique design are all common examples. You might not think much about these areas, but if you consider them for a moment, you might see how they could be some serious missed opportunities. With a little bit of creativity, though, you can change all of that for the better.

That blank wall around a doorway doesn’t have to stay empty, and the space under the stairs isn’t just for boy wizards anymore. There are a number of ways that you can revamp these empty and otherwise useless spaces and make your home more functional and fun in the process. Here are just a few ideas to get you started.

Surfaces and Seating

Look around your home at the various nooks and crannies that seem to just be empty space. With a little bit of work, it’s easy to add seating, tables, desks, and more to these areas and make them much more functional. Once you start thinking creatively, a whole wealth of options opens up.

Some of the open space in your foyer could have benches added for you and your family to sit and get your shoes on in the morning, possibly with bins that slide under the benches to keep those shoes in when they’re not being worn. A little alcove could be a great place to install a small desk or computer workstation for homework, bill paying, creative writing, or even grabbing a quick bite to eat. You could even stick a chaise lounge or part of a sectional couch in a largely unused corner to give people a private place to wind down or relax. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Storage and Organization

Some of these seemingly useless places can be a great place to add storage solutions to your home. Shelves and cabinets can instantly transform empty walls, giving you additional storage even in the small spaces around doorways or in closets. Drawers are also great additions, as are sliding cabinet racks that pull out and then slide fully back into the wall. There are even more options available if you really want to get creative.

If your kitchen has a small dividing wall separating it from other rooms, consider adding a built-in wine rack within it to hold a few of your favorite bottles. A pull-out vertical cabinet next to the sink or stove can also be a great area to add a spice rack or store cutting boards. Bookcases are relatively easy to install, and if you have a large unused area, it might even be an ideal place to add a built-in pantry. Not only do details like these really liven up your home, but they can also help reduce clutter in other areas and make everything a bit more organized in general.

A Use for Every Space

You might be surprised at just how much space there is in your home for these types of projects. The options can increase even more if you start looking at the outside of your home or in the garage, too. While some projects might require a bit of work, others are simple modifications that can really go a long way toward improving both the look and functionality of your home.

Custom Cabinets for Laundry Rooms!

The laundry room can be one of the busiest rooms in the house. The problem with this is that many laundry rooms aren’t actually designed with all of the functions of a laundry room in mind. In many homes, the room is just the place where clothes are cleaned, and various detergents and other laundry aids are stored. Your laundry room can be so much more, though!

One great way to take an ordinary laundry room and make it serve a greater purpose is to install custom cabinets. This won’t just help you to keep all your laundry supplies organized, either. Custom cabinets can add more functions to the room, completely changing up the way you do the laundry. Here are a few ideas that can help.

Hanging and Folding

For many people, doing the laundry involves bringing clothes into the laundry room, putting them through the wash, then taking them somewhere else to put them away. Custom cabinets can make the whole process easier, though. Long cabinets featuring things like built-in folding tables and hanging racks can give you a place to fold your clothes or hang items that need to stay wrinkle free without carting them all over the house.

The fact that these items are built into cabinets makes them especially convenient. It lets you get to the laundry immediately after taking it out of the dryer, and when the table isn’t in use you can fold it back up and close the cabinet to get everything out of the way. Delicates and other items that are washed but need to skip the dryer can also be taken out and hung up right away, even if it’s only temporarily while you deal with the rest of the load before taking them out to hang on a line.

Custom Racks and Storage

Depending on how you do your laundry, there may be a number of products that you use on the regular. This can cause some clutter in the laundry room, especially if you have certain items that have to be washed in certain ways while everything else is handled differently. This is where items like sliding racks, spinning racks, and other cabinet customizations can come in handy. You can store things neatly, sliding out or spinning your storage to get what you need without having to move everything else around just to find it.

A cabinet featuring drawers or other organized storage solutions can also be a great addition to the laundry room. When temperatures start to change and it’s time to swap out wardrobes, you can store items that aren’t being worn in the laundry room to free up space in bedroom drawers. The location of the storage is convenient because you can wash things as they go through the laundry, fold everything up, and then put them right into storage while they’re clean.

Custom Cabinet Options

There are many other options available for custom laundry room cabinets as well. Cabinets with under-shelf storage for dryer sheets, garment bags, and other laundry essentials can be great for staying organized. Custom cabinets with panel doors to hide the washer and dryer themselves can be great if you’re going for a modern look or simply need the laundry room to serve multiple purposes. Regardless of your needs, you’re sure to find custom cabinet designs that can meet them.

Is It Time to Replace Your Windows?

Your windows are one of the most important features of your home. They provide you with natural light and visibility while also giving you the option to let fresh air in when your home gets stuffy. As with everything else in your home, your windows will start to accumulate some wear and tear over time. Eventually they might even have to be replaced. How do you know when it’s really time to replace your windows, or when a little maintenance will keep them in operation for a while longer? While this varies a lot depending on the specific windows that are installed, how well they’re maintained, and what the average temperature and other environmental factors are like, here are a few things you can look out for to see if you need new windows.

Leaks and Drafts

Two big signs that your windows might be having problems are drafts and leaks around your window. Both of these problems can cost you money and make your home less comfortable overall. Drafts can drive up heating and cooling costs, while leaks can cause water damage that in some cases may need a significant amount of work to repair.
Sometimes these issues might not be readily apparent at first. A small leak may disguise itself by traveling along seams in wallpaper or similar wall features, so you may not even discover it until it has been there for a while. Drafts can also start small, requiring you to come toward the window from a certain direction before you feel the draft at all. These small issues can become much larger problems if left to fester over time.

Cracks and Condensation

Visible cracks are also a sign that there is some problem with your windows. These cracks can appear on the frame of the window itself or in the surrounding wall. In some cases, cracks in the window glass may be visible as well. Regardless of where the damage occurs, cracks in your window are bad news, since each crack is a potential entry point for drafts, water, and other problems that could become costly to repair down the line.

Some of these problems may not be immediately visible if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Condensation between the panes of double-pain glass is often seen as a big red flag, since the condensation means that water is getting in somewhere. That little bit of moisture can eventually lead to mold and mildew in your windows as well as other damage occurring within the walls.

Replacing Your Windows

If you do need to replace your windows, finding the right new windows for your home is important. You’ll want to make sure that the windows you choose are well insulated or have other features to help control the temperature in the summer and winter. If you want to add security alarms or other sensors, it’s important that you choose windows that are compatible with these devices as well.

Most people don’t see window installation as a DIY job, since depending on the window layout and materials involved it might be a significant undertaking without assistance. If you think that it’s a bit more than you can handle, don’t be afraid to consult a contractor or professional window installer. They can help with everything from the installation itself to selecting styles and materials that go best with your home.

How Do You Use a Bug Zapper?

To get this out there, there’s very little chance that you don’t know what a bug zapper is. There’s also at least a chance that you’ve never actually used one in real life and have just seen them used in a cartoon, movie, or TV show. Bug zappers have all but become a part of pop culture, usually indicating that a character lives in a very rural setting and more often than not comes from the poorer side of the tracks. So let’s get rid of that mental image right off the bat, because bug zappers are actually very useful tools that can make your home and yard a bit more comfortable as bugs that bite are out looking for a nibble in the heat of summer.

How Bug Zappers Work

While the “zap” in the name gives away a large part of how bug zappers work, the system is a bit more complex than just tossing out some voltage and killing wayward bugs. Inside the average bug zapper is an ultraviolet light source, which depending on the model of the zapper could be a light bulb, a fluorescent light tube or even UV LEDs. It’s this light source that attracts insects to the device, causing them to fly in between a grid of wires in hopes of reaching the light within. This is where the zap comes in; the grid contains electrified wires that provide a small shock to any insects that fly inside, killing them and causing them to drop onto a removable tray for easy cleanup.

It’s important to keep in mind that this is just a general description of how they work, of course; different models may have additional features such as scent or pheromone cartridges designed to attract specific types of insects. There also may be some differences in design between bug zappers intended for indoor use and those designed to use outside. Some small units may even be battery powered or built into the form factor of a flyswatter to make killing specific insect pests easier.

Placing Bug Zappers

For stationary bug zappers, there are two main types: Indoor units and outdoor units. Indoor bug zappers are typically only needed in residential homes if you have problems with bugs in certain areas (such as flies in the kitchen or flying bugs coming in through sliding doors in the summer.) If that’s the case, a bug zapper can be placed around the area where you have the largest problem or near the most obvious entry point.

Outdoor bug zappers are much more commonly used by homeowners, especially during the summer when everyone wants to spend time outdoors. The best locations to place bug zappers outdoors are typically around the edges of the area where you plan to spend time, such as the outskirts of a pool or play area, so that insects will be drawn to the zappers instead of the people within that perimeter. It can also be beneficial to place a bug zapper near outdoor tables where you’ll be serving food, just so long as it’s far enough away that wayward zapped bugs won’t fall out and land on the table. Garden hangers and shepherd’s hooks can be used to hold up the bug zapper units wherever you place them.

Bug Zapper Safety

Because bug zappers use electricity, keep in mind that you’re likely going to need extension cords to provide them with the juice they need. This means that you’ll need cords that are rated for outdoor use, as well as a grounded outdoor outlet to plug them into. It’s also important that the zappers are mounted in such a way that pets or children aren’t going to grab them; even though bug zappers don’t provide enough of a zap to be dangerous to people or pets, it could still hurt or startle them and cause them to knock the bug zapper over (which could then hit someone or become a tripping hazard.)

HVAC Hacks for High Ceilings

Many people like homes with high ceilings because of the spaciousness they convey and the vertical space they provide for hangings, artwork, and a variety of other items. There are a few drawbacks to high ceilings, though, and one significant one is how difficult they can make heating and cooling your home. If you aren’t careful, those high ceilings that look so nice can result in a significant increase in your heating and cooling costs when compared to similar homes with lower ceilings. This doesn’t mean that you’re doomed to spend a lot on heating and cooling, however; there are a few things that you can do to make your HVAC system more efficient in your home even if you do have high ceilings.

Improve Air Circulation

One big thing that you can do is to get the air in your home moving by using ceiling fans or other types of fans. Even though the fans won’t heat or cool the air on their own, they do move the hot or cold air around to provide a more comfortable environment overall. This can be especially important during the hottest parts of summer and the coldest parts of winter, as in both instances fans keep hot air from collecting up high and cool air from staying too low for you to really enjoy.

A whole-house fan can help in this regard as well, especially in the heat of summer. This type of fan will remove the hottest air from your home, which keeps your attic from heating up the rest of the house or trapping warm air. Once the days start cooling down, the fan can then be shut off and insulated to keep warm air from escaping.

Make Use of the System Fan

Most people keep their HVAC system on automatic, which uses the system fan to circulate air while the air conditioning or heater is on and then shuts it off afterward. Just like with ceilings fans, though, the system fan can help to circulate air even when the unit isn’t actively heating or cooling the air. This circulation helps to eliminate stagnant, still air that can seem uncomfortable regardless of the temperature you’re shooting for.

Turning on the system fan can be useful throughout the year, but it’s especially useful during the summer when it’s coolest near the floors. HVAC registers at the floor level will move that cool air higher into your home. The added air circulation also provides some benefit in winter too, helping to get heat out from around the high ceilings and down into the rest of the house. During the milder spring and fall, you can enjoy the added air circulation if you wish or simply switch the fan back to auto.

Consider Your HVAC System

If your HVAC system can’t keep up even with additional air circulation, it may be that your unit is too exposed outdoors or simply isn’t powerful enough to fully heat and cool your home. If possible, your HVAC unit should be in the shade for at least part of the day to keep its components as cool as possible even during the heat of summer. Installing a shade or awning over the unit can be one way to accomplish this, just so long as you don’t use large supports or side pieces that could restrict airflow. If the unit is too small, though, there’s not much that you can do other than installing supplementary air conditioning or heating solutions or upgrading the whole system.

How Much Paint Do I Need?

Paint, paint, glorious paint! It’s one of the least expensive materials you can buy for your house that delivers one of the biggest visual punches. It also fixes a myriad of problems. Got a tired exterior? Paint. The interior of your home feels like it’s closing in on you? Paint. Bought a couch that you love, but clashes with everything else? PAINT.

In all seriousness, paint is a great way to brighten, enliven, and give your home a serious face lift – inside and out. But once you’ve picked a color, what comes next? How do you choose the right paint and actually buy the right amount for your project?

Choosing Your Perfect Paint

Choosing paint can be overwhelming. There are always a variety of grades and characteristics to choose among, leaving a lot of people very confused and frustrated. Here are a few things to watch out for when picking your paint:

• Composition. There are other options for paint, but for most homeowners, the biggest choice is between latex and oil. Latex paint offers easy clean-up, but can be slightly soft when fully cured, making it a poor choice for high traffic areas. On the other hand, oil is far more difficult to clean up, but will pretty much go over anything and harden much better to handle years and years of abuse.
• Sheen. Your walls are your own, and only you can decide just how shiny they should be. When you’re choosing your paint sheen, it might feel like a no-brainer to go with the shiniest paint out there, but take a moment and consider that glossy paint shows a lot of sins, and few houses are really perfect. So if your walls or other surfaces are less than perfect, the flaws could stand out badly. On the other hand, something like eggshell hides a lot of sins, but can be extremely difficult to clean, should it get dirty.
• Durability. Paint is paint is paint, right? Sadly, not even remotely. There are paints that start around $20 a gallon and there are paints that could be four times as much. Both are priced the way they are because of different characteristics they possess, but durability is a huge factor in the pricing. Cheap paint is just that: cheap. It’s generally not meant to last very long, which will leave you having to redo it again soon. On the other hand, top of the line paint is likely impregnated with UV-resistant materials, weather resistant chemicals, and other fancy stuff to keep your paint looking good for longer.
• Coats to Coverage. Most paints will tell you how many coats it’ll take to cover your wall (generally assuming you’ve properly primed first). This is really important information when it comes to figuring out how much paint you need. One coat coverage from a $50 gallon of paint is often still cheaper than three coat coverage from a $20 gallon.

Doing the Paint Math

As far as how to calculate your paint needs, it’s important to keep in mind that you’re definitely going to have some loss to waste, so your calculations are really more like estimates. Painting isn’t a precise science; it’s more of an art, and how much paint ends up being used is influenced by your tools and techniques, as well as the paint and walls themselves.

To calculate your paint needs, simply multiply your surface height by its length, in feet. So, if you’re painting a 10 foot by 20 foot wall, you’d need coverage for 200 square feet. Check the paint you’re interested in to see how many feet the bucket should cover and in how many coats. A lot of paint gallons cover approximately 250 square feet, which would be great for your first coat on this wall.

If you need two or more coats, you’ll need two or more times that much paint. It’s better to round up than down, since you’re almost certainly going to find spots you want to touch-up later. Plus, if your paint is custom tinted, you’re going to get a much better match if it’s all done together. Even in the age of computerized paint mixing, you can still end up with a day when the machine is feeling a bit off.