Home Addition Plus

Helping Homeowners Every Day

Select your Project Additions Basement Remodeling Bathroom Remodeling Cabinets Countertops Custom Home Building Decks Flooring Heating & Cooling Kitchen Remodeling Painting & Staining Plumbing Roofing Siding Sunrooms Waterproofing Windows

Latest Happenings
 

In this month’s newsletter I cover a wide range of home improvement subjects, including topics as varied as preventing jobsite theft during a home remodeling project to green kitchen design. Over the past month I spent much of my time on the road in Germany and California, and along the way I saw some interesting trends in home improvement and construction. Particularly in Germany I was amazed with the amount of homes and businesses going solar. The German government, in response to the recent nuclear meltdown in Japan, has made it a top priority to eliminate its own dependency on nuclear power in the next decade. In California I had the chance to tour a unique home and visit Napa Valley for a couple of days. In the process I got the bug to experiment making my own homemade wine.

I also wrote a number of articles in response to HomeAdditionPlus.com site visitor questions. One recent visitor wrote in about how to shingle a backyard gazebo. Another asked about how to make a foundation sill repair.

Finally I wrote a piece on how to prevent a minor pool catastrophe after experiencing one myself this past month.

How to Prevent Home Remodeling Jobsite Theft

Jobsite theft is a major problem with both new home construction and home remodeling projects. It is usually neighborhood thieves who sneak in overnight or on the weekends and steal tools and materials from the jobsite. However in some circumstances it can be the jobsite contractors and subcontractors who steal building materials, and steal it in creative ways. [Read the complete article here].

Green Kitchen Design

Whether you’re building a new home or simply remodeling your kitchen make sure to develop a green kitchen design. By designing a green kitchen you’ll not only save yourself a small fortune in annual energy costs, you’ll also be reducing your personal carbon footprint and playing your role in protecting the planet. Even if you’re just updating the kitchen appliances you can do yourself and the world a favor by purchasing Energy Star appliances. Energy star labeled kitchen appliances are consider in the top 25% of appliances as it relates to low energy use. [Read on]

Solar Energy use Exploding in Germany

Last month I was in Hinterzarten and Nuremburg Germany visiting colleagues and attending a sensor show. While traveling in planes, trains, and automobiles throughout Germany I couldn’t help but notice all of the solar panels being deployed. Many were mounted on the roofs of homes, farm houses, and apartment buildings, however, I also saw a number of fields literally filled with large arrays of solar panels as I drove from Hinterzarten to Nuremburg. [Read the complete article here]

Solar Hot Water Heaters Reduce Home Energy Costs

You can save dramatically on your home hot water heating costs by installing a solar hot water heating system. Solar hot water heating systems have come a long way since the days of large black pipes crisscrossing roofs. Today’s energy efficient solar hot water heaters consist of a couple of small solar collector panels mounted on the roof that look similar to standard sky lights, and a hot water tank located in a basement, garage, or utility room. [Read the Complete Article]

Shingling a Gazebo Roof

Mark, I recently completed building a Gazebo from the foundation to the roof. I now need to shingle the gazebo roof. However, I have never shingled a roof and a gazebo roof seems fairly complicated. I plan to use asphalt shingles. So I have a few questions on roof shingling, and in particular how to shingle a gazebo roof. My first question is whether or not it is necessary to install a drip strip along the edge of the gazebo roof. My second question is whether or not I need to install tar paper prior to installing the shingles. See my complete article on “Shingling a Gazebo Roof” to learn more.

Sill Beam Repair and Replacement

Mark, I have an 8 foot section of sill beam in the front of my farm house that needs replacement. Evidently it has rotted out from years of splash back from the front granite stoop when rain water runs down from the single dormer above. Someone told me it’s a simple repair and that the beam could be sprayed in place to effectively re-constitute it. How and who does one find details on this procedure, if it even exists. [Read the complete article here]

Pool Hose Problems

I’ve owned two above ground pools over a 12 year period and have inevitably found myself replacing pool hoses each year. Sometimes I replace them as a standard maintenance task and other times I’ve found myself replacing them due to a sudden broken hose. Pool hose problems abound with above ground pools. The main reason is due to poor quality pool hoses being sold by the pool manufacturers. Read on to learn more about “Pool Hose Problems”.

Trying my Hands at Making Homemade Wine

After visiting the Napa Valley California area recently, a place I had not been to in 24 years, I decided to try my own hand at making homemade wine. Though the tours of Beringer and Robert Mondavi’s vineyards and wineries provided me with some basic knowledge on how to make wine they were more inspirational than anything else. Consequently I found myself scouring the world-wide-web when I got back from my trip looking for homemade wine recipes. Boy there are a slew of fruits besides grapes that can be used to make wine. See my full article on “Making Homemade Wine” to learn more.

HomeAdditionPlus Facebook Fanpage

The HomeAdditionPlus Facebook Fanpage continues to attract other Facebook members. Why not you? The HomeAdditionPlus Facebook Fanpage is updated every day with my latest home improvement tips. Tips that will save you time, money and a lot of home improvement hassles. So why not become a fan today?

Sign Up for HouseSight Today

HouseSight also continues to grow new members. With HouseSight homeowners share their home improvement experiences with each other. Visit HouseSight to see what they’re doing. Who knows, you may become inspired to tackle your own home improvement projects and share your experiences with others too on HouseSight.

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 enjoy your summer!

Mark J. Donovan

You are receiving this newsletter because either you signed up for the monthly newsletter or have purchased a product from HomeAdditionPlus.com. If you would like not to receive this newsletter please email me at remove@homeadditionplus.com.

You are welcome to forward this newsletter on to a Friend.

-  Home Improvement News for the DIY Homeowner  -

[Back to Monthly DIY Home Newsletter]