April 20, 2024
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2019

10 Essential Tools for Home Plumbing Jobs

Laura05 mins

When it comes to tackling jobs around the house do you prefer to call in an expert or are you always up for the challenge of doing things yourself? There are definitely plenty of jobs well within the reach of the average homeowner, but you do need to make sure you’ve got the right tools in your toolbox. Having the right tools to hand means you should be able to deal with any basic updates or repairs. When it comes to home plumbing repairs these are the 10 most essential.

Pipe Cutters – these come in a range of different sizes and it pays to have a selection. They’re used to cut through piping and result in a clean cut. If space is tight, these are the perfect tool to have. The most common diameters to have are 8mm, 10mm, 15mm, 22mm, and 28mm.

Adjustable Spanner – make sure you’ve got three of these, small, medium and large. Adjust them with your thumb and the jaws will remain in place. Use them to turn nuts, bolts, and fastenings.

Adjustable Pipe Wrench – this is the mainstay of a professional plumber’s tool box and are great for turning pipes and fittings that have a rounded surface. The jaws have teeth on them that grip really well.

Mole Grips – this tool has a locking mechanism that allows them to be locked in place, making them great for holding things securely. They’re also very useful if you’ve got rounded nuts and bolts.

Blowlamp and Gas – blowlamps are used to solder and fix copper pipe. They can create a watertight seal and joint, as long as you’ve purchased a good quality one.

Pipe Bender – plumbing repairs often require the bending of pipes and this tool has been designed for the job. It is made up of two long arms, two formers, a guide, a roller, and pipestay.

Hacksaw – if you undertake plumbing jobs around your home often enough you’ll eventually come across the problem of pipes not wanting to come apart. Hacksaws can be used to cut pipes, nuts, bolts, or screws. If space is tight it’s possible to remove the blade and use it on its own.

Plunger – a plumber’s best friend has to be the plunger. If you ever have a blocked sink, toilet, drain, or bath this is the tool you need to use first.

Drain Rods and Accessories – if the plunger doesn’t clear a blockage then outcome the big guns. Drain rods are used to unblock drains and sewers. They come with a range of accessories and the rods can be attached together in order to reach the blockage.

Allen Keys – it’s common for taps and showers to be held together using hex grub screws. A screwdriver is no use for undoing these, you need a set of Allen keys. Ball End or Ball Point Hex Keys are the most useful as they can be used at different angles and when space is …

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Overview on Conducting a Fire Hydrant Flow Test

Laura03 mins

Fire hydrant flow testing is an important step in ensuring that the designated fire hydrant or hydrants are functioning as they should. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) specifies how and when these test should be done. This overview will cover basic information on fire hydrant flow tests so you can know what to expect when one is done on your property with a fire hydrant located on or near it.

Who Performs Flow Tests?

A fire hydrant flow test cannot be performed by just anyone. Only a licensed contractor with the correct engineering expertise can perform a flow test. While the exact requirements for who can conduct these tests will vary on a state to state basis, the tester needs to prove they have the necessary knowledge and skill set to do the job. There are many fire protection and flow testing companies out there who offer this service.

How Often Should a Flow Test Be Conducted?

Flow tests are not simply a recommended procedure; they are a requirement. The AWWA, the American Water Works Association, recommends that all areas should undergo testing every ten years or sooner. The NFPA requires that underground and exposed piping be flow tested at least every five years. However, some states choose to have flow tests conducted once every year.

When Is a Flow Test Conducted?

According to the NFPA, fire hydrant flow tests need to be conducted during a time with “ordinary” water demand. This time differs for residential and commercial settings. While people often use water in their homes during non-working hours like 6:00 am to 9:00 am or 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm, operating work hours between 7:00 am and 6:00 pm is ideal for commercial settings.

Fire hydrant flow tests will help you best prepare your home or your business in the case of a fire. Regular testing can help you determine any issues ahead of time.…

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Home Improvement Tips To Make A Better Home

Laura05 mins

Tackling a home-improvement project on your own can be scary; however, this can help you save a lot of money. There are many projects that can be completed by just about anyone, as long as you have the right information to help you along the way. This article will assist you with your goals.

Though it is always rewarding to fix a problem such as a squeaky door, there will come a time when you just need to replace the hinge with a new one. Every hardware store has them. All you need to is attach each section to your door and the frame of your wall. After that, just get your hinge pieces aligned and your pins replaced.

To keep your toilets clean, pour bleach inside the bowl. The bleach may have an unpleasant smell, but it will reduce the spread of germs and your risk of getting sick, in addition to giving you a clean and shiny toilet. Finally, scented bleach helps eliminate odor.

Use empty two-liter bottles as storage containers for your kitchen. They are transparent, and a good way to store things like flour, baking soda and sugar. You can store these on a shelf or in the freezer or fridge. When you require the contents, just remove its cap and pour.

When you start home improvements, you should think about how much you will have to do. Plan and list everything that must be done. It is also smart to have a second opinion; you might have missed something in your initial assessment. A clear understanding of the tasks ahead will save you money in the long term.

The next time you complete a project around the home, dedicate one specific space for debris and waste. You’ll find that trying to handle waste disposal on the fly is both frustrating and expensive; you can save yourself money and headaches by making arrangements ahead of time.

Most basements have very little, if any, natural lighting. If you want a usable basement space, you need to be proactive in your artificial lighting installation and layout. Hopefully you have a basement that has high walls from the ground. In this case, you can have windows as well.

You should look for home improvements that will last when you are planning them. This concept helps you to cope within the home as you are going to get older as time passes. Whether you’re thinking of renovating a home that you’ll hold onto forever or just want to sell it later, age-in-place additions are able to make living more comfortable.

A finished basement adds both value and comfort to your home. When you finish your basement, you will have a whole extra room to enjoy. You could purchase the materials that you need from discount stores. Some sources say that your home’s resale value can increase up to 30 percent by finishing your basement.

Hopefully, you have found the information that you needed to make your home improvement dreams a …

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Great Tips For An Outstanding Home Improvement Project

Laura06 mins

Are you interested in home improvement? You should start by making sure you are prepared for the repairs you need to do. That is just the way it goes with home renovations. Having those professional skills like carpentry, therefore, is a real asset. The average handyman is not necessarily going to be good at home improvement projects. That is why you need to read these tips.

Be on the lookout for any carpet installation sales or promotions at your local home improvement retailers. To boost sales of carpeting, retailers will frequently advertise installation at rock-bottom prices. Since the installation is so cheap during these times, this is when you should have it done.

When you are going to be doing home improvement projects, you should do the ones that you can see first. Your buyers are going to judge your home by what is visible and things like an overgrown garden or paint that is peeling can lose a sale in no time. Although major improvements aren’t usually seen, lesser, more obvious ones are, so take care of them before selling your home.

Putting bleach inside your toilet is a great way to clean them. The bleach may have an unpleasant smell, but it will reduce the spread of germs and your risk of getting sick, in addition to giving you a clean and shiny toilet. If you can’t stand the smell, buy scented bleach.

Always keep safety at the front of your mind when you’re completing a home improvement task. Keep in mind that you are taking risk by making major changes to your home or by using certain dangerous tools. You can also find many online tutorial which can help you with the project.

Before getting started on a home improvement project, determine how much work and money will be needed. Making a list of all your expected tasks and requirements. A second opinion may help you avoid making any mistakes during your first assessment. You can save a lot of money just by keeping to a plan that includes everything you will need to do.

If you are doing any home improvements in your kitchen, ensure you shut off the gas in your home before you begin. Even if the gas is turned off, you should still be very cautious when working under these conditions. A fire could damage you and your efforts in any project.

To save cash, buy a drain snake. You won’t have to buy drain cleaners nearly as often. Drain snakes shouldn’t be used unless you are experienced using them. Ensure that you purchase a snake that properly fits your drain.

Look for ideas for home improvement projects now. By starting early in looking for ideas regarding your home, you will be able to come across a lot of ideas before you need to decide. For example, if you are considering different color schemes to use for redecorating a certain room, having several ideas in mind makes the whole process less stressful when …

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Home Improvement Advice For New Homeowners

Laura05 mins

A majority of homeowners have made a plan to complete a project of home improvement sometime throughout their ownership. They can attest that there is a fine line between success and failure, especially when the homeowner has little experience. Read on and learn some great tips to help you on your next home improvement project.

Weather stripping is important to include around your windows for energy efficiency. Weather stripping allows your cooling and heating unit to operate more efficiently by locking in cool and hot air. No longer will you feel a draft on a cool night.

Think about using stain instead of paint on your baseboards for your next home improvement. This wood also has a beautiful and distinct look, which can add to the design of your home. The beauty of stained wood for baseboards is its ability to show fewer scuffs and scrapes. Touch-ups to the baseboards will also blend better. You will have the option to choose from many, many colors of stain that will match decor of any color.

Do not allow any work to be done on your home without a proper contract. You should take the contract to your lawyer so he can look over it. The cost, dates and warranty information should all be stated in the contract.

If you actually have water dripping out from beneath a sink or the tap, be sure that you do not try to repair this by yourself. Just gather a bit of the dripping liquid in a bucket and call someone who knows what they are doing.

Your bathroom is another important part of your home. Lots of rooms can be updated by the home buyer himself, but bathrooms need to be in decent shape. Be sure that your tub and sink are in great shape and if they aren’t you should replace them. If the floors are linoleum, swap it out for tile.

It is important that your bathroom has proper ventilation. When steam is generated from the shower, mold could possibly form. Repainting the walls in your bathroom won’t get rid of the mold. You will need to be proactive to prevent mold from growing. Install a ventilation fan or a window to reduce the humidity in the space.

Your old luggage rack can be turned into an interesting side table for your living room. Secure glass from a big picture frame onto your luggage rack by using permanent adhesive. Place a lamp and some magazines on top of it, and you have a beautiful, usable new side table.

When you are planing to paint your house, either a wall, or the entire thing, it is important to first figure out how much paint you need. If you just guess how much is required, you may end up buying too much or too little. Be certain to measure so that you will know the exact size of the area you plan to paint.

As mentioned, a homeowner with little experience in home improvements …

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What You Need to Know about Managing Your Lake or Pond

Laura04 mins

Communities with lakes and ponds cost higher than communities with no body of water nearby. A home with a view of the water is now the most preferred among homeowners and are selling for a premium price. Some people, like the Chinese, believe that having a body of water in your home is good luck hence they always have aquariums. However, how would you care for your lake or pond? Why should you even care for it?

Managing your lake and pond is not just an environmental act of kindness, it will also add to the aesthetic beauty of your home. An easy approach to lake and pond management is by installing an aeration system.

Aeration is an oxygenation technology that aims to reduce algae and muck problems in any body of water. With the use of a compressor and a diffuser placed at the bottom of the lake or pond, the water in your lake or pond will circulate from bottom to top, dissolving restored oxygen at the bottom of the lake. The abundance of oxygen at the bottom of your lake and pond can foster the growth of algae and weed hence it should get dissolved easily.

Aeration system is not just about putting that fountain-like system in the middle of your pond or lake. It is also used to improve the quality of the water and circulation in your lake. Aeration also encourages the growth of bigger fishes while minimizing the growth of algal. In short, the aeration system will help your lake or pond breathe while maintaining aquatic life.

When choosing for an aeration system provider, look for one that offers mosquito control as well. Some providers even go as far as offering to add minnows for a better aquatic environment. To make your lake or pond more alive especially at night, you can install led lights to your aeration system and give it that wonderful glow at night.

Aside from giving your eyes something to feast on, a lake and pond management system can also help eliminate unwanted odors from your pond or lake.

If you are looking for a lake and pond management service provider for your lake or pond, you can start looking online or ask recommendations from your friends who have an aeration system.…

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Updating with Personal Design Features

Laura03 mins


After the completion of a kitchen or bathroom remodeling or renovation, you may look around and realize the other rooms in your home could use a little updating. Updating can be achieved in a variety of ways. It gives you an opportunity to showcase your unique design style.

Color

A fresh coat of paint can breathe new life into a room. There is an increase in the color range typically referred to as neutrals. The ordinary beige and gray have been joined by sage green, slate blue and various other earthy shades to make up the neutral palette. You might want to revive older pieces of furniture by painting them. Slipcovers can perk up chairs with faded upholstery or with fabric that’s not complementary to your new color scheme.

Rugs

You can get lots of decorating inspiration at handcraftrugs.com. Textures play a vital role in elevating the aesthetics of a room. You can let your creativity run free when shopping for rugs. The color, texture and design you select will give the room a uniqueness that matches your design style. You can enliven a child’s room with brightly colored rugs. Playtime rugs are a fun and purposeful addition to a child’s room.

Lighting

You can update any room with new lighting. Replacing a ceiling mount light in a bedroom with chandelier lighting can make a dramatic difference in the room. You can update a laundry room, kid’s room, bedroom or living room with a chandelier or pendant lighting. Adding a whimsical, contemporary style floor lamp to a room can instantly perk up a mundane décor. Don’t overlook the impact wall sconces and table lamps can have on the overall appearance of a room.

Explore the current décor trends and include some of them throughout your home to create an overall updated appearance. Natural décor and nature-related colors are popular right now. Doing something as simple as adding plants to your décor and adding natural decorative accessories will add a trendy, updated touch to your décor.…

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Use These Ideas To Improve Your Home

Laura05 mins

If you have begun to read this article you are likely looking for information on how to properly improve your home. Alright then. You should know some basic information about do-it-yourself projects. If you feel you need some great information to get started, continue reading.

In terms of renovating your roof, use white tiles or other similarly-hued materials. The lighter color will reflect the suns rays instead of absorbing them, reducing the heat build up in your attic. You will save a lot of money on energy bills by doing this.

Use a nail and poke holes in the paint can rim. This lip on the paint can will fill with paint, when replacing the lid it can cause the paint to spill over. Use nails and drill holes in order to solve this problem.

Keep your floors protected while painting. Taking this step prevents paint from staining your floors, carpeting and other objects. Layer old newspapers for an inexpensive floor covering. You can use a plastic sheet or paint cloth to block your floor if paint splashes.

It is possible to inexpensively clean up the look of warn kitchen appliances. Stainless steel is popular, but it does not make sense to discard a perfectly good refrigerator just because it does not look trendy. Consider buying appliance spray paint to color your appliances in any hue you can imagine. This can quickly update your kitchen’s look.

You should not work with a contractor before finding out more about their reputation. If you’re unable to obtain a physical address from a company and they’ll only deal with you over the phone, the company may be small and unreliable. Look for a company that gives you a physical address and has a good reputation.

Before you hire anyone to do home improvement work on your house, carefully check their references. Consider this process as a business hiring an employee. You want to investigate background, and also ensure that others have been happy with the work they do.

Investing in your own drain snake can be a wise investment to save you money over the years. This will save you some cash on drain cleaners and plumbers in the future. If you have not used a drain snake before, ask a professional to show you how on your first project. Drains and pipes come in different sizes, so buy the right drain snake for the job to minimize damage occurring.

Research ideas for your home improvement projects before you begin. The sooner you get started with the planning phase, the more time you have to make decisions. Your home improvement agenda will be easier to accomplish if you are not exasperated by time limitations.

Often home builders reduce their costs by installing cabinets without any hardware at all. Thankfully, it’s possible to buy handles, drawer pulls, and cabinet knobs at a home improvement store or online. There are many styles available, so you can transform your cabinets any way that you choose.

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