HomeAdditionPlus.com Monthly Newsletter

Home Improvement News for the DIY Homeowner

February 11, 2011            Edition: 0064

HomeAdditionPlus.com February 11, 2011 Newsletter

Sign Up for HouseSight Today

HouseSight has gotten off to a great start. Many homeowners and builders have already signed up and have begun sharing their home improvement and remodeling pictures, videos, and experiences. If you have past or present home remodeling projects that you've photographed or filmed sign up on HouseSight today and begin posting and sharing your experiences. The more home improvement projects posted the more we can all help each other in sharing home improvement tips and ideas.

Besides posting home improvement projects you can also rank your contractor's performance. In addition, you can rank other HouseSight member's projects to let the rest of the HouseSight community know what the top projects to view are.

For a full description of HouseSight please see the HouseSight Launch Press Release.

You can also get a full introduction and demo of HouseSight at the "HouseSight Introduction and Demonstration Video" on Youtube.
 

HomeAdditionPlus Facebook Fan Page

Recently I added a Facebook "Like" button to every page on HomeAdditionPlus.com. You can find it in the top right section of every page. If you have a Facebook account, please make sure to click on this "Like" button when reading an article on HomeAdditionPlus.com. By clicking on this button you'll be sure to get my latest new articles and videos that I post to the HomeAdditionPlus Facebook page, and that are not necessarily included in my newsletter each month. See my HomeAdditionPlus Facebook Fan Page.
 

Ice Dams and Ice Melt Socks
 

With all the snow we've had in the northeast, as well as in much of the country, ice dams have been a big problem for many of us. Though I used a snow roof rake to remove some of the snow off a couple of the roofs on my house, I was unable to remove much of the snow from the highest roof. So I used ice melt socks to reduce the ice dams before I wound up with water in my home.

To learn more on how to prevent and deal with roof ice dams see my new articles on "Ice Dams on Roofs" and "Ice Melt Socks".
 

Home Remodeling Preparation
 

Home remodeling is different than new home construction. Unlike building a new custom home, your forced to live through the growing pains associated with a home remodeling project. That means putting up with noise, dust and a lack of privacy. In addition, if you're not careful in your home remodeling planning it could also mean leaving your home for a period of time due to a lack of a bathroom or kitchen.

By going through a thorough home remodeling preparation checklist you can avoid many of the pitfalls that leave you pulling your hair out of your head or running from your home during the construction.

To learn more on how to prepare for a home remodeling project see my new article on "Home Remodeling".

Home Repairs

Home repairs are a fact of life when owning a home. By learning how to make your own minor and moderate home repairs, you can save yourself a small fortune over time by avoiding hiring plumbers, electricians and other contractors.

See my new article titled "Home Repairs" to learn how to get prepared to make your own home repairs.

Dryer Vent Cleaning

Clogged dryer vents are one of the main reasons for house fires. Dryer lint traps should be scraped clean after every load and dryer vent ductwork should be inspected and cleaned out annually to prevent the risk of fire.

See my new article titled "Dryer Vent Cleaning" to learn how to properly clean out your dryer vent ductwork.

Electrical Wiring Troubleshooting Video

Often when do it yourself homeowners change a light switch, or add a new light fixture or outlet they neglect to tape and label the wires inside the electrical box properly before removing the switch/outlet/light fixture from the box(es). This can create a real problem when it comes to wiring up the new switch, outlet or light fixture. They end up not remembering where the electrical wires are going to and coming from in the electrical box. My "Electrical Wiring Troubleshooting Video" provides tips on how to figure out where the wires are going to and coming from.

P.S. The beginning and ending music in this video is my own personal blues rendition.

Preventing Dust Streaks and Ceilings and Walls

Dust streaks on ceilings and upper walls are a fairly common phenomenon. Cathedral ceilings are often more prone to this type of problem than flat ceilings, and most particularly at the outside wall edges. The dust pattern often has a scalloped type look where the ceiling intersects the exterior walls. To learn more on why this happens see my article on "How to Prevent Dust Streaks on Ceilings and Walls".

Other New Articles to Check Out

• Wood Floor Finishes
• Bathroom Wall Cabinets
• Small Bathroom Designs
• Kitchen Renovation
• Cracked Chimney Liner Repair
• Art Paintings from Lake Winnipesaukee Artist
• Home Workout Gym
• Wall Mounted Shelves over a Garage Work Bench
• How to Paint a Room and Hide Dark Paint
• Cutting Circular Drywall Holes using a Compass Guide Video
• HouseSight Introduction and Demonstration Video

As always, if you have any specific home improvement questions or would like to see specific new home improvement related content send your questions to me at mark@homeadditionplus.com.

Again, good luck with your DIY home improvement projects and think spring!

Mark J. Donovan

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