http://www.diyjunction.com All the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Junction news! en-us Copyright 2008 www.diyjunction.com http://backend.userland.com/rss/ Mon, 13 Oct 2008 04:42:17 EST http://www.diyjunction.com/themes/default/images/WWLogo.gif http://www.diyjunction.com http://www.diyjunction.com/articles/ZMesh-Radiant-Heat/1329.htm ZMesh Radiant Heat     ZMesh is a 9 or 12 inch wide bronze mesh heating element used for in-floor radiant space heating, radiant floor warming, and roof deicing. Zmesh can be installed under non-metallic shingles and single ply membrane and under most floor coverings including carpet, hardwood, laminates, tile, slate, marble, and linoleum/vinyl. ZMesh’s durability is also perfect for your remodeling/retrofit applications. (Anonymous) Fri, 28 Jul 2006 01:10:43 EST http://www.diyjunction.com/articles/Synthetic-Lawn-a-Natural-Choice-for-Bob-Vila-Home-/1330.htm When Bob Vila was helping a young Massachusetts family add usable space to their suburban Boston home without adding on to their property, one surprising solution was replacing the natural sod in the backyard with a new generation of synthetic grass.     The result was a backyard the family could truly enjoy, a solid rebuttal of the old perception of synthetic grass as fake-looking and unattractive and a first for the Bob Vila show – the use of synthetic grass as a lan (Anonymous) Thu, 08 Feb 2007 03:46:08 EST http://www.diyjunction.com/articles/Maintian-Your-Home-Drainage/1325.htm Maintain Your Home's Drainage System Every new home comes with a drainage system.The land surrounding your home is graded to slope away from your house. And some roofs are equipped with downspouts and gutters essential for adequate drainage. Take all the steps necessary to preserve your home’s drainage system. It regulates moisture content of the soil surrounding your home, and regular maintenance will keep it running smoothly and help prevent water damage and flooding. The ground should be six i (Site Admin) Tue, 23 May 2006 14:32:47 EST http://www.diyjunction.com/articles/Be-Wary-of-Bi-Weekly-Mortgage-Deals/1324.htm Bi-Weekly Mortgage May Be A Rip-Off Biweekly mortgages have been touted by many companies as being an excellent way to save money and pay off your mortgage earlier. Some companies even claim that "it won't cost you any more than you're paying now." What a crock! What do you think a true biweekly mortgage saves you? I'm talking about the savings from paying more frequently. Well, it doesn't save that much at all. Hold on to your calculators. We (Site Admin) Wed, 22 Mar 2006 12:58:34 EST http://www.diyjunction.com/articles/Improve-Indoor-Air-Quality/1323.htm Simple Steps Can Improve Indoor Air Quality There are lots of things in a typical home that can cause air quality concerns, but making a home energy-efficient is one way to minimize many of these potential dangers. Leaking ductwork in a building can be bringing in dust, pollen and other pollutants from the attic, garage or the outdoors. Cleaning products kept under cabinets in the kitchen and bathroom might be releasing fumes into the air. Cooking smoke and odors from the kitchen can flow through the entire house. (Site Admin) Tue, 14 Mar 2006 14:23:07 EST http://www.diyjunction.com/articles/SynLawn?-Sign-Us-Up!/1322.htm Faux Grass Looks Good Spring is just about here and with it the dreadful thought of having to mow the lawn or pay someone else to.  However, that won't be the case if you happen to SynLawn a relatively new faux grass product. SynLawn comes in a variety of options which vary in cost from $3.50 - 5.50 per square feet.  It has a nice natural appearance and comes with a 5-10 year no fade warranty. Certainly some will scoff at the idea of fake grass assuming it looks muck like the "outdoor grass carpet" (Site Admin) Thu, 09 Mar 2006 16:27:41 EST http://www.diyjunction.com/articles/Time-to-Crank-up-the-Air-Conditioning/1321.htm Brrrr....time to crank up the air conditioning Though it’s still freezing in many parts of the country, there’s big news when it comes to air conditioning that you should know before it’s time to crank up your home cooling system. As of Jan. 23, 2006, the U.S. Department of Energy requires manufacturers of air conditioners and heat pumps to produce equipment that has a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating of at least 13. SEER is the number that the DOE uses to measure the effici (Site Admin) Wed, 08 Mar 2006 16:03:16 EST http://www.diyjunction.com/articles/Choosing-the-Right-Ladder-for-Your-Home/1320.htm There are many different styles, materials and uses of ladders. With all the options out there, how do decide what is right for your home. In this article I will explain the advantages and disadvantages of several of the main ladder types, to help you make an informed buying decision for your home. There are three materials in which most ladders are made from. Each of these materials offer specific benefits and will behave differently depending on the use. Aluminum Ladders Ladders made with Aluminum offer a lightweight and strong alternative to ot (Anonymous) Wed, 22 Feb 2006 10:32:25 EST http://www.diyjunction.com/articles/New-Regional-Roofing-Resource/1318.htm Announcing New U.S. Regional Information and Roofing Estimate Request Directory Roof Helper has recently added a regional information directory to assist roofing contractors and consumers. The directory offers  local statistics and information combined with the ability to request up to three local roofing estimates online. Roofing contractors traveling to jobs outside of their usual service area may find the information helpful as they assess local population, weather and income level. The directory is accessed by selecting (Site Admin) Sun, 19 Feb 2006 03:17:56 EST http://www.diyjunction.com/articles/Environmental-design-with-Naturgress/1317.htm Two new floor collections for indoors and outdoors that meet the needs of building biology. Design that safeguards the environment. This spring, Iris Ceramica presented two new collections of rustic surfaces inspired by Tuscan terracotta and a refined range of stone: Le corti senesi and Dolomiti. Two collections of glazed porcelain tiles that stand out for the naturalness of their shades and variety of formats and make equal use of the colour and composition of these ceramic products. Rather than being a mere backgroun (Anonymous) Thu, 09 Feb 2006 11:03:14 EST http://www.diyjunction.com/articles/Translucent-Roofing-Product-Named-A-Must-Have/1316.htm Translucent Roofing Product Named "A Must Have' Centerpoint’s new translucent roofing system, formed from GE multiwall polycarbonate plastics sheet, is a must have building product for 2006 according to Scripps Networks. Centerpoint’s patent-pending roofing structure is designed to allow penetration of natural, filtered daylight into living areas without the energy loss and higher heating and cooling costs of glass roofing inserts. The company selected GE&rs (Site Admin) Wed, 08 Feb 2006 18:52:45 EST http://www.diyjunction.com/articles/Outgoing-trends-in-Real-Estate/1315.htm Outgoing Trends in Real Estate Mark Nash, a Coldwell Banker broker and real estate author, has compiled a list of what's ``in' and ``out' for housing this year. The list is a result of input from Realtors from around the country who, in turn, have solicited feedback from home buyers and sellers as they visit resale and new homes. Here's a sampling of what is absolutely ``out,' according to Nash and his contributors: • Ebony-stained hardwood floors. You're better off tearing it out than trying to sand the ebony (Site Admin) Mon, 23 Jan 2006 13:03:01 EST http://www.diyjunction.com/articles/Sunrooms---the-next-home-improvement-trend?/1314.htm Sunrooms - the next home improvement trend? With home prices soaring, more and more homeowners are remodeling their current homes rather than selling and trading up. And when homeowners consider their options for renovation and adding space to their existing building, more of them are choosing to build with the light of a sunroom rather than to block out the light with conventional 2 by 4s and plywood. Architects and designers have been telling us that the trend in building over the past several years has been toward m (Site Admin) Thu, 12 Jan 2006 17:20:10 EST http://www.diyjunction.com/articles/Take-Care-of-Your-Septic-Tank/1313.htm Take Care of Your Septic Tank CORTLAND — Loretta Ecklund, a septic system inspector with the Trumbull County Health Department, says she sees a lot of cases of rural homeowners failing to maintain their septic systems. "A lot of people move out into the country and don't have a clue how to maintain their system," she told a large audience at the Agricultural Service Center at a recent seminar. She and fellow inspector Richard Curl spend much of their workday looking at such systems, often re (Site Admin) Wed, 04 Jan 2006 13:52:33 EST http://www.diyjunction.com/articles/Spa-Versus-Hot-Tub/1312.htm Spa Versus Hot Tub Aren't a spa and a hot tub the same thing?  Most people would probably say yes but you'll find the answer below.Hot tubs are wooden barrels and spas are fibreglass shells covered with acrylic or other plastic materials.However, some hot tubs have acrylic liners and some spas are free-standing with wood skirts.Tubs have a rustic and natural appearance; they blend well with decks, gardens, and patios.They are, however, harder to clean and maintain than spas because of the texture of the wood and the angles an (Site Admin) Wed, 04 Jan 2006 13:35:44 EST http://www.diyjunction.com/articles/Home-and-Fire-Safety-Tips/1311.htm Home and Fire Safety TipsBelow is a list of suggestions to help minimize the threat of tragedy from a home fire. Make sure you have a working smoke alarm in all major rooms of the house. A smoke alrm is inexpensive protection and can double your chances of getting out of a home fire safely.Take extra care when using portable heaters or fireplaces. Make sure there are no burnable items within 3 feet.Make certain you and your family have a fire safety escape plan. Each member of the family should know at least three ways of getting out of the hom (Site Admin) Fri, 30 Dec 2005 02:09:36 EST http://www.diyjunction.com/articles/Negative-Amoritization-Loans/1310.htm Negative Amoritization Loans Mortgage negative amortization can only occur with an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) when the interest rate adjusts more frequently than the borrower's payment adjusts, or the indexed interest rate rises faster than the borrower's monthly payment increases. For example, most ARMs have monthly payments that are "locked" for one to 10 years. Many have fixed monthly payments for the first three to five years. However, if the ARM interest rate adjusts monthly, semi-annual (Site Admin) Thu, 29 Dec 2005 01:43:45 EST http://www.diyjunction.com/articles/Increased-Cost-for-New-Air-Conditioners/1309.htm New Regulations May Increase Air Conditioners Cost The Energy Department will require that new air conditioners manufactured as of Jan. 23, 2006, be more energy-efficient. The result will be a 30 percent improvement in minimum energy efficiency. The new minimum standard will be a seasonal energy efficiency ratio, or SEER, of 13. The current minimum is 10 SEER. SEER is to air conditioners what miles per gallon is to automobiles — the higher the number, the better the energy efficiency. (Site Admin) Thu, 29 Dec 2005 00:57:04 EST http://www.diyjunction.com/articles/Real-Wood-Floors-are-Low-Maintenance-Flooring/1308.htm Real Wood Floors: The Low Maintenance Flooring Option In your grandmother's day, caring for a wood floor was a real chore.  Today, however, hardwood floors offer busy families a low-maintenance, yet durable and beautiful, flooring alternative. The National Wood Flooring Association states that wood floors will last a lifetime when properly maintained. "Today's wood floors are easy to take care of," says Ed Korczak, executive director, NWFA.  "In the past few d (Site Admin) Fri, 23 Dec 2005 13:23:38 EST http://www.diyjunction.com/articles/Home-Remodelers-in-for-a-Rude-Awakening/1303.htm For Renovators, a Rude Awakening THE hurricanes that battered the Gulf Coast and Florida this year devastated communities and left tens of thousands of people homeless. Now consumers everywhere are likely to feel the impact of the storms in the form of rising prices for construction and building materials. Many of those materials were already going up in price, but within six months things may be much worse. Tack $7,000 onto the cost of building a typical house in 2006, according to Michael Carliner, an econom (Site Admin) Fri, 23 Dec 2005 03:15:04 EST