HomeAdditionPlus.com Monthly Newsletter

Home Improvement News for the DIY Homeowner

October 2009            Edition: 0046

HomeAdditionPlus.com October, 2009 Newsletter

Well the days are beginning to get a little cooler here in northern New England and for many of us we have begun to turn on the heat in the mornings. In regards to home heating, if you have a secondary home heating source such as a fireplace, woodstove or gas stove, the fall season is a perfect time of the year to have the chimney cleaned and perform some basic stove maintenance. If you burn a wood stove it is important to have the chimney and the wood stove inspected and cleaned every year. Dangerous creosote can build up inside the chimney and ignite causing chimney fires that can burn down your home. See my article on “Chimney Maintenance” to learn how to clean your chimney. If you have a gas stove, it is also wise to call a licensed gas stove technician to come in and clean and inspect the stove before use. Frequently the gas needs to be turned back on and the pilot light restarted.

In addition to home heating maintenance, it is also wise to make sure your home is well insulated. In particular check your attic for sufficient insulation, as an attic can be a major source of heat loss. In addition, if you have folding attic stairs, make sure that they are well insulated. Folding attic stairs are often poorly insulated and drafty. See my article on “Attic Door Insulation” to learn how you can quickly insulate your attic door.

Over the past month I have been very busy around the home with various home improvement projects. At the top of my list was the excavation and landscaping of our backyard. I had 170 cubic yards of fill and loam brought in to improve the size and quality of our backyard. See my article on “Backyard Landscaping and Excavation” to learn more about what is involved in hiring an excavation/landscaping contractor for undertaking a large landscaping project.

Another project that my wife and I undertook this past month was the remodeling of one of our bathrooms. We made a number of small changes and enhancements to the bathroom that really gave it a new look without spending a fortune. If you have an interest in revitalizing your own bathroom and have a limited budget see my new article on “Inexpensive Bathroom Remodeling Ideas”.

I have had many questions come in from site visitors over the past month. One in particular that I answered and actually filmed a couple of videos on involved an electrical wiring question. The visitor was attempting to install a combo switch/outlet circuit and had some difficulties wiring it up. You can wire this type of electrical circuit a couple of different ways so I responded to the question with two new videos. See my “Wiring a combo switch/outlet Video” and “Wiring a combo switch/outlet with constant power supplied to the Outlet Video” if you have an interest in wiring up this type of circuit.

Finally, I wrote several new articles on residential electrical and roofing topics. See my new articles on “Replacing a Circuit Breaker” and “Snaking Electrical Wire in Walls and Ceilings” if you have interests in electrical wiring. If your roof is in need of new shingles you will also want to read my article on “Roofing Material Weights”. Not all roofing material is meant for every type of roof.
 

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 the early fall.

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.