Patio Heaters Warm Up the Winter

Having a patio gives you a great place to hang out and enjoy the outdoors while you’re at home. Unfortunately, dropping temperatures often makes your patio all but uninhabitable once the fall and winter months come around. Cooler weather doesn’t have to be the end of your time enjoying your patio, however; there are many options available that can extend your time on the patio, including patio heaters.

There are several things that set patio heaters apart from other outdoor heating options like fire pits. Because they’re designed to spread heat out over a larger area, a patio heater might be the ideal solution to keep your patio area usable well into the winter. If you think that one of these heaters might be the perfect addition to your outdoor space, here are a few things to consider to help make sure that you pick the perfect heater.

How Patio Heaters Work

Patio heaters are designed to radiate heat outward, spreading heat over a larger area than you’d cover with a fire pit or other heat source that doesn’t have a cap or other barrier preventing heat from escaping upward. The amount of heat coverage provided by these heaters differs based on the type of heater, its size, and where it’s located on your patio. Some patio heaters include chimneys or other exhaust pipes to vent potentially harmful gases generated as their fuel burns, preventing those gases from being diverted outward by the same caps that redirect the heat.

Depending on your needs, you can find small patio heaters that can sit on top of a table or other surface, as well as larger free-standing units that sit on the patio floor itself. Most heaters include controls similar to what you see on indoor heaters, allowing you to change the amount of heat produced. This lets you adjust your heater for use when you just need to knock off a little chill or when you need to produce more heat on colder nights.

Patio Heater Types

Though there are several different types of patio heaters; the most common varieties are electric, propane, natural gas, and wood-burning heaters. Here is a little information on each type:

• Electric heaters are similar to some of the space heaters you might have used indoors, offering benefits such as portability and heat production without creating fuel exhaust. Unfortunately, these heaters are not as energy efficient as other types, and often do not produce as much heat.
• Propane heaters connect to a propane tank like you would use with a propane grill. They produce more heat than many electric heaters and are still relatively portable, though they should not be used in covered or enclosed areas.
• Natural gas heaters are the most energy-efficient and convenient patio heaters, connecting to your home’s existing natural gas line so that you don’t have to swap out tanks or perform other maintenance. These heaters are not portable at all, however, and need to be professionally installed to ensure that there are no gas leaks.
• Wood-burning heaters are the cheapest patio heaters to operate, but they also require more cleaning and maintenance. They also require more work to light and put out and can be fire hazards if left unattended.

Choosing a Patio Heater

Picking the right heater for your patio area depends a lot on how your patio is laid out and whether portability and maintenance are major concerns for you. Electric and propane heaters are best for those who want to be able to move their heater around easily, and wood-burning heaters are a good option for those who want a heater that operates cheaply and don’t mind emptying out ash and coals to keep the heater clean. Natural gas heaters are the best options for homes where there’s already a gas line installed, and you don’t mind having a permanent heating option in place. 

Tips for Choosing Replacement Windows

Your home’s windows fill a number of important roles. They let natural light into the house, allow you to see what’s going on outside, and serve as a barrier against inclement weather. Unfortunately, your windows aren’t immune to the ravages of time, weather, and various other hazards that can damage or weaken them. You may find yourself in a position where you have to replace one or more windows in your home, especially if you’re hoping to prevent drafts and leaks heading into the winter.

Not all replacement windows are created equal, however. Depending on your situation and the condition of your existing windows, there may be a few different options to sort through when choosing replacements. While a lot of this will depend on your specific circumstances and your own personal preferences, here are a few tips to keep in mind to make choosing replacement windows that much easier.

Sorting Through Window Options

There are a lot of considerations when it comes to choosing replacement windows. Some of these are obvious, including things like frame color, glass tint, and how the windows open. Others might not be quite as obvious, such as insulation values and UV filtering. Price isn’t necessarily an indicator of quality, either; you may find cheaper windows that are a better fit for your needs than more expensive models.

Take the time to figure out what you need from a window before you actually start shopping. If you live in an area where the winters are cold and you’re trying to prevent drafts, the insulating power of your new windows will obviously be a priority. If you’re replacing eastern-facing windows and worry about too much light coming through early in the morning, tinting or other filtering will be a concern. Having windows that are easy to open for cleaning may be a major concern, or if you’re security conscious, you may want windows with advanced security or smart sensors built in. Figure out what’s most important to you before you start shopping so that you can choose windows based on your criteria instead of developing criteria based on the windows you see.

Interior vs. Exterior Installation

In addition to the windows themselves, the type of installation you use can make a difference not only on your overall cost but also on how easily your windows are installed overall. Your options will include exterior installation, where the frames and other support material are replaced along with the window itself, and interior installation, where just the window is installed into an existing frame. When it comes to choosing an installation type, a large part of the decision rests on the condition of your existing windows and frames.

Exterior installations are bigger jobs and require more work to get the window installed, but they’re ideal if there is damage or warping present in the existing frame as they ensure that there aren’t going to be any leaks or drafts after your window is installed. They’re also essential if you’re changing the size of your window and the new window won’t fit easily into your existing frame. Interior installations are easier as there aren’t any changes made to the frame but are only possible if the frame is undamaged and the new window matches the dimensions of the old one.

Furnace Maintenance for Beginners

Getting ready for winter in advance is important to make sure that you don’t run into major problems once cold weather hits. There are a lot of places in the home that will likely need some maintenance or upkeep as part of your winterization process. Of these, your furnace is one of the most important; falling behind on furnace maintenance can result in problems at the worst time, and getting them fixed in the cold of winter can be both difficult and expensive.

Fortunately, a lot of furnace maintenance is fairly easy to do even for complete beginners. There are several things that you can do if you want to make sure that your furnace is ready for winter. While the specifics may vary depending on your actual home heating setup and the type of furnace you have, here are some of the basics of furnace maintenance that you should keep in mind both for winter and throughout the year.

Furnace System Cleaning

There are several cleaning tasks that you should do every two to three months throughout the year, but that are especially important heading into cold weather after your heating system has been off for the summer. Replace your air filter and clean your system’s humidifier if it has one. If your system has a burner, you should also clean it to remove any dust, lint, or other debris that could affect functionality. Take the time to open up your vents and vacuum out the registers and ductwork as well, as there was likely a lot of dust and other buildup that occurred during the summer.

You should also take a little time to clean and test various sensors around your home to ensure that they are working properly. This includes things like smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors, as they’ll be very important in case there’s some problem with your heating system. If you use gas heat, having a functional gas detector is also important. So if you don’t have one already, you should install one. If you do, make sure it is clean and working so that you’ll be alerted of any potential gas leaks before they can become dangerous.

General Maintenance

There are other basic maintenance tasks that you should perform in the lead-up to winter as well. Test your thermostat to make sure that your furnace is turning on and off automatically at the set temperatures. Check to make sure that blower fans can turn freely as well, and add a small amount of lubricant if needed to keep them spinning without grinding or hanging. Visually inspect the components of your furnace for signs of wear, rust, or damage; even small cracks can result in leaks or more significant damage once the furnace is in full operation.

Check out the function of your registers to make sure that they open and close as expected; this will help to ensure that the heat your furnace produces is going exactly where you want it to go and isn’t being blocked by a register that’s stuck closed. You should also turn on the furnace and let it run briefly to make sure that it is actually blowing warm air, since a heating problem is definitely something that you want to fix before winter comes. If you use a house fan as part of your summer cooling solution, make sure that it is turned off and closed for the winter so that you aren’t losing heat from your furnace as a result.

Everything You Need to Know About Road Salt

As temperatures start to drop, it becomes more and more evident that the cold of winter is right around the corner. In many areas, this means it’s time to start prepping for low temps and all the ice and snow that often accompany them. There’s one thing that people often forget to prepare for, though: the deluge of road salt that often comes with the winter.

Road salt is obviously used to help keep the roads safe by melting snow and ice before it can become dangerous. Many homeowners use salt and salt alternatives around the house as well, keeping walkways and steps ice-free during harsh weather. If you aren’t careful, though, having too much salt can cause a lot of problems with your landscaping and even some home fixtures. If you want to stay on top of potential salt-related problems, here are some things to keep in mind while preparing for winter.

The Problem With Road Salt

Road salt has been around for a long time; it was first used in the 1930s to help keep ice off of the roads, and though there have been some refinements since then, the basic premise remains the same. Salt lowers the freezing temperature of water, making it take lower temperatures to freeze and thus preventing some of the ice buildup that can make roads hazardous. Once temperatures drop past a certain point this water can still freeze, but between traffic and the angle of the road surface there may be less of the slower-freezing water on the road by that point.

Unfortunately, road salt can also cause problems over the course of the winter. Salt sprayed from the tires of passing cars and leached off as runoff from melting snow can get into your yard, damaging or killing grass or plants near the road. That same salt can cause corrosion on your vehicles if you live in an area where the roads are frequently salted, leading to both rust and paint damage as the salty water evaporates and white salt powder builds up on your car. Salt tracked in on your tires and shoes can also cause damage to concrete in your garage and on your steps, especially if it’s left there for extended periods. Even the salt products that you use around the house yourself can lead to some of these problems if you use too much and don’t clean up after.

Road Salt Protection

There are a few ways to protect your home and lawn from the effects of salt during the winter. If you use a lot of plants or decorative grasses in your yard, keep sensitive plants away from roads and driveways and plant hardier grasses in the areas that will get the most salt exposure. When temperatures rise above freezing, water the areas where salt was splashed onto your yard thoroughly to help dilute the salt, and add lime or gypsum as well to help neutralize the salt’s effects. You should also keep an eye on grass and plants that seem to develop salt damage so that they can be replaced in the spring.

To protect your garage floor and other parts of your home, be sure to rinse them thoroughly with clean water to remove possible salt buildup. To add a layer of protection to the concrete, consider applying an epoxy-based sealant to the garage floor as well before temperatures drop too much. Wash your car when possible if you notice salt buildup to remove it before it can cause damage. If you’re using sidewalk salt to keep your steps clear, choose a concrete-safe salt alternative or ice melt mix to help prevent damage.

 

Considering a Utility Sink?

Having access to a sink when you need one is a great convenience. Most people are used to having sinks in their kitchen and bathrooms, but there are other locations where a sink can come in handy as well. Installing a utility sink in these areas can make tasks such as laundry and cleaning easier, while also keeping you from having to dump things like cleaning wastewater into your kitchen or bathroom sink.

Installing a utility sink in places like your laundry room, basement, or mudroom can be a great idea, especially if there aren’t any other sinks convenient to those locations. Depending on how your home is laid out, though, it might also be a significant undertaking. If you’re thinking about adding a utility sink, here are some things to keep in mind.

What Is a Utility Sink?

If you aren’t familiar with the term “utility sink”, you are still likely familiar with these sinks and the role that they fill. Most of the time, utility sinks are standalone deep basin sinks in areas such as a laundry room or basement. Some utility sinks may have a hose attachment or threaded faucet that a standard hose can be attached to, allowing them to fill buckets or other containers with water even if the container isn’t placed into the sink itself.

Most of the time, the purpose of a utility sink is cleaning related. Utility sinks in the laundry room may be used to wash off dirt, paint, and other materials before putting items in the washing machine. Utility sinks may also be used to fill mop buckets and other containers with soapy water for cleaning floors or even washing your car. Many such sinks also contain large drains to make it easy to empty these containers once you’re done (though it’s worth remembering that some chemicals and waste products shouldn’t go down the drain, whether it’s in a utility sink or not).

Utility Sink Installation

Installing a utility sink is similar to installing a kitchen or bathroom sink, with one notable difference: many houses aren’t set up with water lines that terminate at a utility sink’s location until the sink is installed. That means that a little more work may be required to run the plumbing and install the valves necessary to hook up a utility sink where you want one. Some areas like the laundry room may already have water lines nearby, but others such as the basement or garage could require a little more work. You’ll also need to consider drainage, as the water in your sink is going to have to have a way to leave as well.

Once you’ve got all the plumbing issues sorted, you’ll need to secure the sink basin and connect the water lines and drainage. Some utility sinks have a single faucet, while others have two faucets or a faucet and a hose attachment; you’ll need to make sure that these are hooked up properly if you want to make full use of them. After everything is connected and the basin is secure, all that’s left is to turn on the water and make sure that the sink functions correctly.

 

Budgeting for Major Construction Projects

Maybe you’re adding an expansion onto your home, constructing a standalone storage building in the back yard, or undertaking some other major construction project. Whatever it is that you’re building, you likely already know that big construction jobs can carry big costs. If you haven’t budgeted for the job correctly, though, you might end up surprised at how big some of these costs can be.

Sticker shock for construction projects can be a problem, but it doesn’t have to be. With a little bit of thought and planning you can make sure that you’ve got all your expenses covered in your budget before the job begins. While some of the costs involved will be very specific to the details of your construction project and where you live, these budgeting tips will help you to keep an eye out for things that can drive the price tag up, so you can account for everything.

Major Expenses

Some of the costs of major construction projects are obvious: You’re going to need money to cover things like lumber, siding, wiring, and other materials. You’re also going to have to pay your contractors and laborers for the work that they put into actually doing the construction. If you aren’t paying attention, however, these costs can get away from you and leave you with a bit of a surprise when the bills come due.

Many material costs fluctuate based on supply and other factors and may be affected by things like transportation costs as well. Lumber prices in particular are prone to fluctuation and can increase significantly if supplies are disrupted. If possible, get in a purchase order or otherwise get some sort of pricing guarantee before work starts so that you can lock in a price and protect yourself from price shifts down the road.

Easily Overlooked Costs

While changes to your material costs can be an issue, one problem many people have when budgeting for construction is that they forget to account for all of the smaller costs associated with this sort of project. Some of these costs (like getting a construction permit) may seem obvious, but they can be easy to overlook when looking at the significant costs of materials and other aspects of the job. These costs can also be significantly higher for large projects than they are for the sorts of projects you’ve tackled in the past, so keep that in mind.

A few aspects of the job that you might not consider which can significantly increase your expenses include things like putting down a slab or foundation, installing a roof on a finished building or expansion, renting a dumpster for the construction crew, and interior materials such as fixtures and appliances once the project is done. Even landscaping costs and a bit of extra funding to cover incidentals or unexpected situations should be considered. The last thing you want to do is to budget things precisely and then realize that a portion of your yard has to be dug up to replace some pipes or some of your existing wiring will have to be ripped out to get everything up to code.

Managing Your Project

There are a lot of moving pieces in any major construction project, and hiring a project manager can go a long way toward managing all of them. In some cases your general contractor may act as a project manager as well, but many times they’re there to do the job they’re hired for and the rest of the details are squarely on your shoulders. Consider bringing in a project manager or ensuring that you’ve picked a contractor who will manage the project as well will help with budgeting and cost tracking, while also making sure that you don’t forget some important part of the project that might otherwise come back to haunt you.

Painting Concrete Floors: The Basics

When most people think of flooring, they picture things like carpet, wood flooring, tiles, and other common floor coverings. There are other options available to homeowners though, including concrete floors. While concrete was once seen mostly in places like basements and garages, it’s becoming increasingly common in the main floor of homes as well. Concrete flooring with built-in radiant heating systems is becoming a lot more popular, especially in areas that tend to have more severe winters.

Some people think that concrete flooring is limited in its decorative options, assuming that the only thing you can do with concrete is apply a sealant or stain. There are other options available, though, including painting the concrete. But be careful before just slapping a coat of paint onto a concrete floor; there are a few things that you should know first.

Prepping the Surface

One of the biggest problems that people have with concrete floors is trying to paint them without having adequately prepped the concrete surface first. In order for paint to adhere to concrete well, the surface needs to be rough enough for the paint to get a good hold, and it also needs to be clean and dry. This can mean a little more prep time than some other types of flooring, but the end results are definitely worth it.

Seal any cracks in the concrete with concrete filler, then sweep the concrete to remove any dust or loose debris. Scrape off any old paint or other materials that are stuck to the floor. Wet the floor with a sprayer or mop, then apply a concrete degreaser and scrub the surface with a stiff-bristled broom to clean it. Rinse well and clean up any excess water with a wet/dry vac so that the surface can dry completely before you start painting.

Painting and Sealing

Once your floor is completely dry, it’s very important to put down at least one or two coats of primer that’s designed for use with concrete before you actually start painting. Tape off all of the baseboards and other areas that you want to protect, then start applying your primer at the edges and work toward the middle. Try to get each coat applied in a single painting session, as you don’t want to let the primer dry in patches that will show through in the final paint application. Allow each coat a chance to dry completely before starting on the next, waiting up to 24 hours if necessary to ensure that it’s fully dry.

Once you’ve applied your primer, it’s time to start painting. Use a concrete-friendly epoxy paint and follow the same application instructions that you used with the primer. Get good coverage along all of the edges before moving in toward the center and allow each coat a chance to dry completely. Once your paint is completely dry, apply a concrete sealer and follow the manufacturer’s directions to ensure that it cures properly. Ventilation and proper masking are especially important for this step, as come sealers can release fumes that you don’t want to breathe.

Understanding the Project Scope

Painting concrete floors can be intimidating because the process is a bit more involved than your standard paint job. If care isn’t taken to ensure that the floor is properly cleaned beforehand and sealed afterward then you can end up with bubbles and peeling paint down the road. Getting all of your materials together before the job starts and following all material instructions will save you a lot of trouble in the long run, since you won’t have to stop to go get something or run into issues with improperly applied coats.

Change Your Bathroom’s Look With a New Faucet

Bathrooms are one of the most important rooms in the house. Despite this, they tend to get a bit less attention than other rooms when it comes to how they look. If you find yourself worrying that you have a less-than-beautiful bathroom, you’re in luck; the bathroom is also one of those rooms where a relatively simple change can make a big difference in the overall look. In fact, something as seemingly simple as changing your faucet can have a major impact on how you and your guests view your bathroom.

Of course, it’s important that you choose the right faucet if you’re hoping to make a positive change to the look of your bathroom. A cheap or ugly faucet can have as big of a negative effect on the room’s appearance as a beautiful faucet can change it for the better. If you’re not sure what sort of faucet to get to make a positive impact on your bathroom, here are a couple of things to keep in mind while you’re shopping.

Faucet Style Considerations

One of the main things to consider when choosing a new faucet for your bathroom is the style of the faucet. While you might think that one faucet is pretty much the same as any other, there are actually a wide range of styles to choose from. Different styles work better in different rooms, and pairing the wrong faucet style with your bathroom can make it look out of place and really throw off the overall look.

When shopping for a new faucet, think about the color of the faucet, the finish, and even the shape that would work best in your bathroom. Many bathroom faucets are silver or chrome in color, but there are a wide range of metallic shades available and quite a few that offer splashes of other colors as well. Some faucets are taller than others, and some are very blocky and square while others are rounded and smooth. Take pictures of towel racks, wall colors, and other features of your bathroom to help with your comparisons.

Faucet Functionality

Functionality is often overlooked when shopping for a new faucet, since many people just buy a faucet that functions the same as their previous one. There are several different functional options available in bathroom faucets, though, and they can impact the overall look of your bathroom as well. Some faucets have a single handle while others have separate handles for hot and cold water. Some have water-saving features, some are designed to mount through a single hole, and some mount to the wall or are otherwise specialized for standing vessel sinks. Each of these different types brings with it specific quirks of installation.

Some faucets may take functionality changes even further than this. You may consider touch-sensitive faucets that you can turn on and off with a tap of your hand, or faucets that have attached soap dispensers built directly into the sink counter. Other functional features may be available as well, and they will affect not only how you use the faucet but also how it looks as well.

Installing a New Faucet

Once you’ve picked out a faucet, installing it can be a decent DIY project for the weekend. In most cases, faucet installation is fairly straightforward; you remove the old faucet, put the new faucet in its place, then tighten the mounting hardware and reattach the water lines. If you’re making significant changes to the style of faucet in your bathroom or adding new features like a built-in soap dispenser or handles that are separate from the main faucet body, however, there might be a bit more work involved.