Window Safety Checklist - Homeowners Must Read

Broken glass is definitely a health hazard, for anyone who is near it, when the glass is actually broken. After the glass is broken and is laying on the ground in pieces, people can still get hurt. Here's a basic window safety checklist for homeowners that everyone must read. It will provide you with some simple tips that could prevent a loved one from getting seriously injured in the future.

1. Contact your local building department or fire department, to get the basic requirements for using your window as a fire escape. Your windows can be used to jump out of, if there is a fire inside your home.

2. Make sure that young children avoid playing around windows. You should always teach your children, never to throw large objects or balls in the house.

3. You might think about installing a window ladder, if you live in a two-story home, which could be made of rope or chain. These latter's can be thrown out of the window, while latching onto the window sill, in case there's a fire. It would provide you with an alternative from jumping out of the window. Don't under estimate these fire ladders, they can be extremely difficult to climb down.

4. If you leave large sliding glass doors open on a regular basis and clean them spontaneously, others might not realize they're closed, because they're so clean. Simply put a piece of tape on the window to prevent other people from thinking there open. You would be surprised how many accidents happen, from clean windows.

5. Last but not least, one of the most important problems with windows. Think security, if you leave your windows open and leave the house, someone now as easy access. There are plenty of ways to make your windows secure, using locks that clamp on to the side of the window. This will allow you to leave the windows open about 4 inches, leaving you the desired ventilation and preventing burglars from entering your domain.

If a window is cracked, or broken it should be replaced as soon as possible. Try to avoid fixing broken glass your self if you don't have any experience. Plenty of people get hurt every year, simply underestimating how sharp broken glass can actually be.

Home Window Ideas

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Five Things That a Termite Inspection Company Might Not Ever Say

I don't think that I've ever heard of a termite inspector, ever go to a home and not find any termites. Even if the home doesn't have any damage that is visible from the termites, it seems like it's always a good idea, to tent the home, just in case, for protection. Anyway, here's five things that you might not ever hear a termite inspector ever say.

1. Your house is free of termites. This means that there isn't, one termite on your property and the termite inspector isn't going to make any money. Let's face it, termite damage, whether it's visible or invisible, keeps these guys working.

2. Your house isn't going to fall down, if I don't do anything to stop the termites. I have seen homes, where termites have been working on them for quite some time and they still seem to stand up and function properly.

3. Termites don't eat much and I wouldn't worry about the damage. Most termite inspectors will tell you how much a termite in Hawaii or Africa will eat in a day, but doesn't seem to have an honest idea, how much damage they are doing to your home, if they can't actually see it.

4. Every one that works for our company, has at least 30 years experience, repairing any termite damage. Don't even get me started with this one.

5. We will replace all of the termite damage wood, back to its original condition. What they might say, is that they will replace the wood that is damaged by termites, that you can actually see.

There are plenty of great termite companies out there and this article was meant just to have fun with most of them. Termite damage can be a serious problem with some homes and I would suggest that you contact at least three termite inspectors, before proceeding ahead with any home repairs or use of chemicals.

Try not to forget, the only way that a termite inspection company will make any money, looking at your house, will be to find something wrong with it.

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10 Things a Homeowner Won't Tell a Contractor - Common Courtesy

I've been a contractor in the state of California for over 20 years and there are some things that a homeowner won't tell a contractor. These are a few things that a contractor might want to hear, but a reluctant homeowner, might have second thoughts telling their contractors how they really feel.

1. We are happy with all of the work that you did in a timely manner and we appreciate your services.

2. We are happy with the way you performed your construction tasks, efficiently and we appreciate your services.

3. The work was done by a true professional and we would recommend you to any one of our friends.

4. The payment plan that you created in the contract worked out perfectly and never made us feel uncomfortable. It never seemed like you had too much of our money or we were putting you in a bad spot financially.

5. Thanks for keeping the job clean, it meant a lot to us, because we have seen other construction jobs that look like a tornado ran through them.

6. Thanks for helping us with our design. Working with your contractor on a daily, weekly or monthly basis can be frustrating or joyful. Let the contractor know either way how you are really feeling.

7. You and your crew are extremely hard-working and we appreciate the simple fact that you didn't come to work late or leave early.

8. Thanks for the reasonable priced estimate on our project. You helped us say a lot of money and we appreciate that sincerely.

9. Thanks for doing the extra work at a reasonable price. You could have gouged us at certain times, but you chose to be fair and work things out, in a way that would benefit both of us.

10. This one is the most important and often overlooked by homeowners and it's simple and easy to do. Thanks for doing what you said you were going to do and actually doing it.

Just a simple thank you and paying them on time, for a service well done is enough for most contractors. However, a little common courtesy can go a long way, even in the construction industry.

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Home Purchasing Checklists Provide Protection

Home purchasing checklists provide protection for consumers with useful information for future home repairs or current home repairs that will need to be done before the home is sold. Home inspectors often use checklists like these, while they're inspecting the home.

If more home shoppers used home inspection checklist while shopping for houses, we would probably have more satisfied homebuyers than dissatisfied ones. Recently just purchasing a home, we had our real estate professional, the previous homeowner's real estate professional and a mortgage lender, involved in the purchase of the property.

There was a home inspection report from the current homeowners, available for us to look at. It provided us with the damaged parts of the home that were repaired or replaced. Some of these repairs were from termite damage and it was stated so on the report. This was helpful information for us as we walked around the home inspecting it for damage.

The work that was repaired to look satisfactory and the rest of the home had minor damage. Listening to one of the real estate sales people that were involved in the transaction, you would've thought we would get in the deal of a lifetime and they had nothing but good news to say about the product they were representing. I easily understood that, this person could have influenced some one into believing that the home was in great shape, if they didn't have a home inspection checklist with them.

The home had been re-carpeted, painted and was in generally good shape. The problems with the home, were the old windows that were hard to open, the heating unit leaked gas, the tile flooring that ran through the kitchen and a large room addition looked great, except for one thing, they installed the tile over linoleum.

This eventually will have to be replaced as the tile starts to separate from the linoleum. While I'm writing this article, there's about 40 square feet of tile that needs to be replaced, because it's popping up and cracking.

A home purchasing checklist does not guarantee that you will find everything but can't eliminate some of the things that homeowners have the biggest problems with. If you could just eliminate one of these problems, the small price of purchasing, one of these checklists would be worth it.

Home purchasing checklists provide protection for the shopper and I would recommend, never shopping for a home without one.

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By Greg Vandenberge

Attic Handrail Safety - Do it Yourself Home Repair

Some stairways that lead up to your attic will have a safety or guardrail to prevent people from falling down the stairs or off of them. Attic handrail safety can provide homeowners with a little peace of mind if they just follow the few simple steps. Make sure that the handrail is at least 42 inches in height. 42 inches is the minimum height for guard rails and can be found in the uniform building code.

The uniform building code is the Bible to the building industry and sets the standard for new construction and remodeling.

The 42 inches will be measured from the floor to the top of the handrail. Some older homes will have handrails that are 36 inches and some of them will be even 30 inches in height. A 30 inch handrail provides limited protection for anyone who is over five foot tall. 30 inches becomes the center point for any one over 60 inches and these people could easily fall over the short handrail.

Now for the homes that don't have any attic handrail safety systems. Some homes that were built before the 1960s won't have a handrail system at all in the stairway. Keep something in mind here, when these people were building these houses, some of them were trying to save money, some of them figured that it wasn't going to be a big deal and other builders simply forgot to install them.

It's not hard to install a working attic handrail for safety but keep in mind, that if the handrail isn't the right height, it will provide you with limited protection. Attic handrails that are lower than 30 inches can provide young children or others who are shorter than five feet with very little protection but can be a safety hazard to anyone over 5 feet tall.

If your attic doesn't have a safety handrail, use caution and be careful in these areas of your home. It wouldn't be a bad idea to install a locking doorknob if your attic access has a door that can be secured to prevent small children or other people from entering these unsafe areas.

Home Attic Repairs

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How Many Bathrooms Do You Really Need? Building New Homes

When my dad was a kid, they lived in a two bedroom house with one bathroom and the family consisted of him, his two brothers and his mother and father. When I grew up, we have it a little bit better. We had the same sized family as my father did, but we lived in a three-bedroom house with two bathrooms.

How many bathrooms do you really need? Think about it. Here's what I would like to suggest, if you have more money than you know what to do with and would love to help the economy, then you should put as many bathrooms as you need in your home.

If you really need to tell your friends, that you have a 250 bedroom house with 275 bathrooms, and you have the money to pay for it, do it and knock yourself out. However, if you are building a new home, I would like you to consider, this question. How many bathrooms do you really need?

If you want each one of your children to have their own bathroom, then go for it. It will require more cleaning, more money to build these bathrooms and is it really necessary.

Here's what I would suggest as a guideline for deciding, how many bathrooms you really need. One bathroom for two or less people, two bathrooms for five or less people and three bathrooms for eight or less people. You could actually add one bathroom for every three people as a general rule of thumb.

Don't get carried away and start installing bathrooms all over your house, it doesn't make sense. Bathrooms are expensive and I have been in the homes, where I was the only person that used at bathroom. Some bathrooms might not ever be used.

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Pest Droppings in the Attic - Pest Problems

Sometimes I wonder how these large animals can get through such small holes in our homes and into our attics and crawlspace's. A few years ago, I was working on a home that had water damage to the siding that needed to be fixed. The homeowner of course didn't want anymore water damage and this required repairing roof, the original cause for the siding damage.

When I bid the job, I had no idea what I was about to run into. The first day on the job, went smoothly as I repaired some damage fascia board, but the next day I was in for a surprise, as I removed the damaged siding, I found what looked like dog poop in the attic.

I was looking around in the attic and trying to figure out how a dog could of got up there. I know that I shouldn't have, but I walked around the home inspecting it for a large hole, any holes, something that a small dog could have wiggled his way into. I got my latter off of the truck and then went on the roof, trying to find a place where a dog could have got into the attic.

I couldn't find any holes and after wasting about an hour, I decided it was time to get back to work and since the homeowner wasn't there, I couldn't show him my new findings or ask him any questions. I cleaned up the mess and repaired the water damaged siding, but in the back of my head I kept thinking about how in the heck a dog got up in the attic.

To make a short story even shorter, when the homeowner arrived home that day, I showed him my findings and he informed me that he didn't have a dog. He did however inform me that he has been hearing something walking around in his attic for about a year now. He had a pretty good idea that they were raccoons.

I told him, that I had inspected his home and only found one small hole on top of his roof underneath the roof eave, but there's no way that a small raccoon could fit through that hole. He told me that you would be surprised, what these animals were capable of squeezing into and out of.

Well that's about it, the mystery was solved, I repaired the small hole in the attic and have never heard from the homeowner again. Hopefully that meant I did my job well and not that he was embarrassed about the poop in the attic.

Pest Control Ideas, House Pest Pictures

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Tile Grouting Tips For Your Bathrooms, Kitchens and Floors

Isn't tile grouting supposed to be simple, if you read the directions and watch a couple of videos? What could make tile grouting so difficult? Grouting your tile isn't that difficult, by the time you're done reading this article, you should have a pretty good idea how to grout your floors, bathrooms, kitchens and anything else that requires tile.

I used to have problems grouting tile, but after I read the directions, I became a grouting wizard. This sounds hard to believe, but after reading the directions on the tile grout bag, I became a grout master. I know, you the type of person who never read the directions, you simply add water, mix and start grouting.

It's time to change your thinking about, whether or not the directions will be helpful. Whether it's about grouting your bathroom floor or putting together your home barbecued. I read one thing on the grout bag and it changed my entire grouting career.

The grout should slake. After you're done mixing the grout, you should wait between five and 10 minutes to let the moisture soak into the grout mix. Do this once, and you will never go back to mixing your grout and applying it, as quickly as possible after it has been mixed.

For more information on grouting, remodeling or home repairs, I would recommend reading books on home improvement and home repairs. Some of these books can make a big difference in your home improvement abilities as a handyman. I would also recommend reading more articles, there's plenty of information about tile and grouting, all over the Internet.

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Subfloor Damage From Poor Bathtub Installation - Read Bath Tub Fixture Manuals

You should never under estimate the amount of damage that water can do to your wood subfloor. Especially if this wood is underneath your bathtub. If the bathtub is not installed properly, you could find yourself replacing the wood underneath, within a short period of time. This repair is not uncommon and as more homeowners and handyman seemed to be doing projects like these, without the proper experience, it's becoming even more common.

I wish I had a solution to the problem, however, I don't. The best advice I could give anyone who is going to be involved in any home remodeling project, would be to get some books on what ever task you are about to undertake and read all of the information that you possibly can about the products you are going to be installing. This is extremely helpful for anyone who has never installed a bathtub or any bathtub fixtures.

If the product fails and was installed properly, the manufacturer should be responsible for the water damage. I have been reading the manufacturer's installation manuals for quite some time now and every once in a while, I find something that is of great value to me and I get to pass it on to my readers. That's what I'm doing right now.

Whether you want to remodel your bathroom to save money or you want to accomplish a task that you haven't done yet. I would recommend, taking the time to understand, exactly how the water flows off of and on to another section of the bath tub or shower on its way to the drain. Understanding the basics of bathroom remodeling can save you big money in the future.

Save yourself some money and make sure that you install your bathtubs properly. Taking a little time before you start to read the bath tub fixture manuals, can save you some money and grief in the future.

Find More Facts On Home Water Damage.

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Don't Let This Happen to You - Home Computer Electrical Damage

If you've read any of my other articles, you know that I am always coming up with great ideas, tips and even a couple of stories that can save homeowners lots of money. Here's another one of those stories, that involves a friend of mine who asked me if I could fix his outdoor electrical outlet.

I was over at his house one day, and told him that I could probably fix the electrical outlet and if we needed any parts, we could run down to the lumber yard and pick them up and his problem would be solved within a few hours. This two hour repair was about to cost him the hard drive on his computer, but neither one of us had any idea what was about to happen.

We each agreed to give it a shot, I told him to go over to the electrical panel and turn off the breaker that went to his outdoor shed. He proceeded to turn off the breaker and yelled out," It's off, try it." I plugged in an electric drill and it was still working, as he was walking around the corner, towards me, I showed him that the drill was still on and he hadn't turned off the right electrical breaker.

He went back and turned off a couple of more electrical breakers and the drill was still running. Now he frantically started to turn off one electrical breaker at a time, until I yelled out," It's off, the electrical power is, off you can stop."

I repaired the electrical outlet and he went back to turn every electrical breaker back on that he had turned off. We were proud of ourselves and he now had electrical power, back to his shed and he was happy.

Now for the bad news, his computer was running and when he turned the electricity off and on, it must've done something to his computer hard drive and it now needed to be replaced.

The moral to the story, isn't that you shouldn't help your friends. It's that you should, make sure that your computers are safely off, before you attempt to do any electrical work to your home.

It wouldn't be a bad idea, to have a battery backup, for your computer, if you use it often, just in case there is an electrical failure or something happens like the story above.

If your really interested in saving money on your home electrical bills - Energy Saving Books

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Important Do-It-Yourself Home Remodeling Advice

Often I'm asked by homeowners, if they think that they can build something on their own. Often I end up explaining the process to them and it's pretty confusing. I would like to give some homeowners and construction handyman some do-it-yourself home remodeling advice, about projects that I think they should avoid and the reason why.

1. Working on Electrical Service Boxes

I really don't recommend, anyone who lacks experience working with electrical, to be working on it at all. When it comes to the electrical service box repairs, if you don't have any experience working in this specific area, I am suggesting this to all homeowners and do-it-yourselfers, stay away from electrical service power boxes. Electricity can be extremely hazardous to your health, so take my advice, this is coming from an expert on the subject.

2. Plumbing Water Supply Lines

I don't recommend, anyone who doesn't have any experience working with plumbing water supply lines, because if they break, or if your repair, doesn't hold properly, you could destroy a large portion of your home. Picture this, you just got through putting a new faucet in, everything looks great, but it's time for you to go to your baseball game. You come home about four hours later and the entire house is flooded with water.

This kind of stuff does happen and you need to take the advice of an expert here. It has even happened to me and I understand the process, pretty good. If you plan on fixing any plumbing water supply lines, make sure that you can spend the time, keeping an eye on your new home repair. If you're going to have any problems with them, they will usually happen within the first few hours of use.

I hope this helps, sometimes it's better to pay a professional, but I can understand, every intelligent person, is interested in saving a few dollars and learning new skills.

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Do-It-Yourself Concrete Room Addition Foundation

This information can also be very important to do-it-yourselfers that will be building other projects, for future home improvements. How can a do-it-yourselfer learn to build a concrete room addition foundation? Let's get started.

The first thing that you're going to need is a set of plans or building blueprints and they should have been approved by your local building department and planning department. There should be specific architectural details, that you will need to examine carefully, to build your new concrete room addition foundation correctly.

Let's get started with the digging. You're building plans, should give you the width and depth and the exact location, of the building footings that will need to be dug. Grab your shovels and get started. Make sure that all of the dirt is removed properly, before you start to form the room addition foundation footings.

Next you will need to form the foundation. This can be done using 2 x 10 or 2 x 12 form boards. You can easily apply these form boards, in the exact location, that the building plans are suggesting. You can use 1 x 3 wood or metal stakes that can be purchased at any home improvement or lumber yard, to hold up your form boards in the correct position.

The sole purpose of the form boards, will be to hold the concrete in, once it is poured. Next you will need to install all of the rebar and building hardware, that will also be required on your building blueprints. Make sure that you examine these building plans to find the exact location, for all of your anchor bolts, hold down bolts and all of your structural rebar.

Once this is done, you're ready to pour your concrete, but don't pour your concrete, until you have contacted your local building inspector to examine your new room addition building foundation.

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How to Find a Excellent New Home Builder

Looking for a good home builder or contractor, isn't an exact science, but hopefully, by the time you're done reading this article, you will at least have a better idea, what you will be looking for. Let's get started.

As a general contractor, the most important thing that I would be looking for any new home builder, would be experience. You can't sacrifice price for experience. If you're looking for the cheapest contractor, there's a good chance that this person will be lacking experience in home building knowledge.

How long has this person been in business? Just because you're new home builder has only been in business for five years, doesn't mean that he isn't capable of building your home. The same holds true for someone who has been in business for 30 years. Just make sure that these people have actually built homes in the past.

What is their attitude like? This is the second most important thing and I tend to focus on this more than experience, sometimes. If you don't get along with the person, you're not going to have a pleasant home building experience. If you think that there lying to you, scammers or generally don't feel comfortable with them, but they seem to have the most experience and build more homes in your area than anyone else. I wouldn't think twice about getting rid of them and finding someone else.

Last but not least, you should contact some of the people that they have worked for in the past. Talking to past clients, is going to play an important role in making your final decision. You need to find out, if these home builders, treated their clients fairly and were they generally happy with the overall outcome and performance, not only of the homebuilder, but each one of his subcontractors.

I would recommend writing out a list of questions and offering your new home builders past clients a free meal. Offer to take them out to dinner, lunch or breakfast, this way you will have their undivided attention and get the low down on your potential future home builder, it could be the best money that you ever spent.

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How Wide Should I Make My Carport? Planning Your Next Project

Whether you live in a home with or without a garage, you might be thinking about building a new carport. You've came to the right place and by the time you're done reading this article, you should have acquired a little more valuable information for your next home remodeling project.

Some homeowners install carports in front of their garage, on the side of their homes or even in their driveway. Car ports can be built anywhere on your property, as long as you have enough room and access to these areas for a car to be parked safely.

The most important thing to remember, when building a carports, is the width that will be required to park your vehicle underneath it. You will need to allow plenty of room, so that you will be able to access your vehicle comfortably.

There are plenty of carports, all over the country that are built right next to something, like a retaining wall, the side of your home or even another garage. I myself have parked in carports that were too small and over a period of time became an annoying inconvenience.

The minimum width that I would build any carport would be 10 foot wide, if you're going to build your carport next to a building, I would suggest that you park your car, open your door and measure the width of your car, with your door open.

This will give you a comfortable width for building your new carport. This is the best advice I could give anyone, who is planning on building a carport.

Garage Building Tips

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Basic Home Electrical Wiring - For the Do it Yourself Home Electrician

The Green Bay Packers were one of the most successful football teams and Vince Lombardi said something to them that I will never forget," This is a football." All the football players laughed and he said that we're going to start with the basics and that's what I'm going to do, with this article.

Let's start with our electrical wire, the two most common electrical wire sizes, that will be used in most homes, will be 14 and 12 gauge electrical wire. Let's clear something up, right off the bat, the smaller the number, the larger the wire. In other words a 12 gauge electrical wire is a little bit larger and will carry more electricity, for longer distances than a 14 gauge wire.

What about electrical outlet plugs? These plugs are usually the same, except for the fact that they come in different colors. When I said that most electrical plugs are the same, I'm talking about your standard wall outlet plug. There are different electrical plugs that will be used for air conditioners and some kitchen appliances like 220 Volt electric stoves and ovens.

What about your home's light switches? Your standard two way light switch will usually turn a one light on or a group of lights on, from one location. A three way light switch will usually turn one light on or a group of lights on from two different locations. A four way light switch, will usually turn one light or a group of lights on from three different locations.

It doesn't get any more basic than that. I hope this gives you a better understanding about your home's electrical system.

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Plywood Roof Sheeting - Roof Framing Trade Secrets

Most framing contractor's look at the building plans and order all of the material, according to those that are specified on the plans. This works out fine, and can often save you money, but rarely produces the best home that you could possibly frame.

As a professional framing contractor, I would like to share one of my house framing tips with you. Most plans require half-inch plywood or oriented strand board as their roof sheeting. This product is fine and if you're building a lot of homes, you're not going to have the choice. Ordering larger sized plywood could cost you thousands of dollars, especially if you're building a lot of homes.

However, if your framing or building a home for someone or even yourself, you might want to take my advice and think twice about it, before ordering the roof sheeting. Half-inch plywood, works okay for 16 inch on center roof rafters or engineered truss roofing systems. It doesn't work well on 24 inch on center roof rafters spacing.

It is usually flimsy and weak at the center point, directly in between the 24 inch roof rafter bays. If you're going to use the half-inch plywood, I would recommend using plywood clips that are relatively inexpensive and can be placed in the direct center of each roof rafter bay on each sheet of plywood. These can be purchased at most home improvement centers or lumber yards.

The other alternative, and this is what I recommend, would be to use 5/8 inch plywood. This plywood works great for 24 inch on center roof rafters and you will have a nice sturdy roof to walk on, while roofing your home.

I have actually seen people step through the flimsy plywood, while lifting heavy roof tiles and bundles of composition roof shingles. Experienced roofers try to walk directly on top of the roof rafters, when loading their roof shingles or even carrying them on the roof.

If you're a home builder and your concern is about making a profit, you will need to use the half-inch plywood. If you want to build a superior roof, use the 5/8 of an inch plywood.

If You Live in Northern San Diego County or South Orange County, and You're Looking for a Great Contractor, Click on This Link House Framing Contractors.

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:

Greg Vandenberge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a excellent home inspection checklist to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

Thanks For Reading My Articles

Retaining Walls Suffer From Moisture Problems

Whether you're driving down the road or through a neighborhood and you notice a retaining wall that has large cracks in it, or is severely discolored, or one that has white calcium deposits from moisture covering the entire wall, you've got problems with moisture.

The retaining wall is designed to hold the dirt back, that's it's sole purpose. It's not going to hold any moisture back unless someone has installed a waterproofing membrane to separate the soil from the concrete block wall. If the soil isn't ever going to get wet, then you probably don't need to waterproof the retaining wall.

However that's normally not going to be the case. So we need to waterproof the interior of our retaining walls to eliminate future moisture problems that could eventually, deteriorate as moisture starts to accumulate, inside of our block wall for a longer periods of time.

If you don't know anything about waterproofing, I would suggest that you hire a waterproofing expert. Waterproofing looks easier than it actually is, and might be out of your scope of work.

I'm not going to suggest that you use waterproofing paints, because I haven't seen great results with these products. However, if you're not that concerned about your retaining wall and are looking for a cheaper way to apply any waterproofing materials, these paints might not be a bad idea. Sometimes, Something is better than nothing.

If you live in a relatively dry climate, it might not be necessary to waterproof your retaining walls. But if you live in a damp or moist area, especially an area where the ground is moist all year round or more than six months out of the year, I would suggest that you waterproof the back of your retaining walls.

If you're really interested in basement remodeling and repairs, you should click on this link House Basement Repair Ideas. Get some great home repair advice that can make a big difference on any of your home remodeling projects.

Dryer Vent In Basement Window.

Greg Vandenberge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a Home Buyers Guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

Thanks For Reading My Articles

Reflexology - Holistic Therapy

Reflexology is a modality in treatment used to enhance circulation, relaxation and improve ones overall health and well being. By formal definition, it is: "A focused pressure technique directed at the feet or hands." "It is based on the premise that there are zones and reflexes on different parts of the body which correspond to and are relative to all parts, glands and organs of the entire body".

Reflexology is not a "new age" treatment, but has in fact been around for thousands of years. There is documented evidence of this therapy dating back as far as 2,500 BC. It can benefit those as young as new born up to the elderly.

Reflexology, in simpler terms, works to stimulate the body's natural electrical energy to help increase the body's circulation. This is done through manipulation, pressure enhanced massage and focusing on various pressure points of the foot or hand. By increasing circulation, one will feel the instant benefits of reduced stress and enhanced relaxation. For those on medication, with medical conditions or enhanced side effects due to treatment; reflexology can improve feelings of overall well being and help to decrease pain or unpleasant side effects from modern medicine. For those practising other treatments in achieving good physical and emotional health, this is a perfect treatment to compliment other modalities as well.

A treatment session will usually last 45-60 minutes where the client will be fully clothed and draped with a sheet for comfort and warmth. It can be administered lying down or sitting up, which ever the client is most comfortable with. The treatment room will be clean, the atmosphere will be calm and usually with soft calming music playing in the background. The benefit of Reflexology over other treatments is that the results of a reflexology session can last up 5 days or more and treatment can be determined by the client on a as per need basis.

For those that have never experienced this type of therapy, it is well worth trying. To find a reputable and highly trained reflexologist, you can start by choosing a reflexologist that has been Certified by the College of Reflexology which practises strict standards and ensures a quality professional.

Don't settle for anything less.

2007 Silvana Rosati-Capizzano

Silvana is a well respected Interior Decorator, International Feng Shui Expert and the Principal of the Award Winning Home & Life Design Firm: Blue Avalon. Along with her years of study in Home Decor and Feng Shui, she has the unique ability of being able create luxurious interiors with balance and optimum energy flow thus creating a beautiful environment of positive energy, balance and harmony.

Silvana also devotes her time to her Holistic Practise at the Dove Spa, Canada. She is a well respected Reiki Master and Certified in Reflexology. Her passion for positive energy and it's effects on our surroundings as well as personally are encompassed in her practise of Feng Shui and Holistic Therapies. She offers Reiki, Reflexology, Indian Head Massage and Hopi Ear Coning.

Blue Avalon specializes in Interior Decorating, Feng Shui and Abundant Living. Blue Avalon is the publisher of The Blue Avalon Journal; a monthly e-zine packed with ideas, tips and insider secrets! To subscribe, log onto our website today at http://www.blueavalon.com and you will receive a bonus book, The Number One Feng Shui Secret That Will Transform Your Life!

Blue Avalon - "Harmony for your home...Balance for your life http://www.blueavalon.com.

Raising Your Grandchildren - Tips For Finding Help

Your grandchildren are living in your home. Now what? Raising your grandchildren is not an easy task and there are legal questions to be answered.

You are to be commended for taking on the task of raising a second family. I know you didn't ask for the job, but now it is yours.

Have you checked with a lawyer?

You may not feel you need one, but if it comes down to you having legal custody of your grandchildren you cannot afford to walk into court unprepared. Grandparents do have some legal rights now, but nothing is set in stone.

How are you doing financially?

Some of you may still be working and are able to absorb the extra expense of your new family. While, some may already be on a fixed income, used to be called retirement, and may be struggling to make ends meet.

How's your relationship with the parent of the grandchild?

That parent is still your child. Sometimes they are just in need of a little help until they can get life together. Sometimes they have gotten themselves into a mess and need some serious help. Help you may not be qualified to give.

Are there other grandparents involved?

You may desire to have your grandkids with you, but they may have been given to the other grandparents. That's the problem with this situation, you have some many people and personalities to deal with and that can be a big problem.

What about the home life the child or children came out from?

Sometimes this can be a real problem. There can be abuse, drugs, alcohol, pornography and who knows what else. The society your grandchildren live in today is much different from the one in which you grew-up.

Here's a few tips for overcoming these problems.

1. You really need a lawyer, even if you do not plan to get legal custody of the children. You need to know your rights and things do change.

2. Seek out financial advice. Proper financial planning is crucial if you are short on cash. You may want to investigate additional sources of income. If you have legal custody you may qualify for financial aid.

3. Check out various support groups. Some online forums offer limited legal advice and you can find others in the same position as you and can be a big moral booster.

4. There are several good books available. Check Amazon and others for suggestions.

The information in the raising grandchildren is limited right now, but I am sure that will change soon, as there are 4.5 million kids living with their grandparents in the United States. This is a huge market and I am sure there will be more help soon.

Click Here to find the information you need. I know how tough it is my two grandkids have lived with me for three years. Get the help you need at http://www.squidoo.com/grandparents-rights-1

Feng Shui Kua Numbers and Lucky Directions For Success

The best way to get into the world of Feng Shui is to determine your personal Kua Number, find out if you are an East or West Group person and your lucky directions.

Supposing you are born in the year 1871:

Step 1: Add the last two digits of your year of birth which in this example would be 7+1 = 8.

Step 2:
If you are a male:
Deduct the number that you derived from (Step 1) from 10. So in our example it will be 10-8 = 2. Your Kua Number is 2.
If you are a female:
Add the number that you derived from (Step 1) to 5. So in our example it will be 8+5=13 and then 1+3=4. Your Kua Number is 4.

Armed with the knowledge about your Kua Number:

Step 3: Find out if you are an East or a West group person:
Kua Numbers 1,3,4,9: EAST Group
Kua Numbers 2,5,6,7,8: WEST Group

Step 4: Find out your lucky directions:
Kua Number 1:
Success Direction: South-East
Health Direction: East
Romance Direction: South
Personal Development Direction: North

Kua Number 2:
Success Direction: North East
Health Direction: West
Romance Direction: North West
Personal Development Direction: South West

Kua Number 3:
Success Direction: South
Health Direction: North
Romance Direction: South East
Personal Development Direction: East

Kua Number 4:
Success Direction: North
Health Direction: South
Romance Direction: East
Personal Development Direction: South East

Kua Number 5:
For Males:
Success Direction: North East
Health Direction: West
Romance Direction: North West
Personal Development Direction: South West

For Females:
Success Direction: South West
Health Direction: North West
Romance Direction: West
Personal Development Direction: North East

Kua Number 6:
Success Direction: West
Health Direction: North East
Romance Direction: South West
Personal Development Direction: North West

Kua Number 7:
Success Direction: North West
Health Direction: South West
Romance Direction: North East
Personal Development Direction: West

Kua Number 8:
Success Direction: South West
Health Direction: North West
Romance Direction: West
Personal Development Direction: North East

Kua Number 9:
Success Direction: East
Health Direction: South East
Romance Direction: North
Personal Development Direction: South

By orienting yourself to face your lucky directions you are tapping into the goodness this will bring in all your activities thereby enabling you to succeed. Try to face your lucky direction as directly as possible. Where it is out your control (such the office space configuration is such that it is not going to be possible for you to sit facing your success direction) opt for the next best direction in the list pertaining to your Kua Number.

Veda Singam offers quality articles, short snippets on Feng Shui and Astrology. Moreover she also offers astrology horoscope content. Her work is published in Astrojasta.com a free online resource for astrology horoscopes. Visit the Zodiac Zone of that website for free monthly and daily horoscopes, astrology, numerology, feng shui and kua number resources.

The Three Sage Kings and the Five Legendary Emperors

Suiren, Fuxi and Shennong are regarded as the Three Sage Kings of ancient China who made personal sacrifices to improve the lives of the people. They are known for one or more unique contributions to mankind.

Suiren who reputedly lived 18,000 years ago discovered how to make fire by drilling wood. This discovering enabled mankind to eat cooked food and use fire to keep warm and ward off wild animals.

Fuxi taught people how to domesticate animals. He also taught them to make nets to catch fish, birds and wild animals and in the process ensure the supply of food all year round. He was also responsible for creating the institution of marriage and the for a 35 string musical instrument. His most important contribution however was the Bagua or Eight Trigram that formed the basis for the all important I Ching or Book of changes.

Shennong, also known as Yandi, invented the ancient rake, spade, plough and sickle and taught people to grow five types of cereals, rice, two types of millet, wheat and beans. He also invented barter trade and further modified Fuxi's 35 strings musical instrument into a 5 strings one.

However he was best remembered for tasting hundreds of wild herbs to find remedies to treat illnesses. In the process he suffered continually from poisoning and eventually die from eating one too many.

The emperors after Shennong were Huangdi, Zhuanxu, Diku, Yao and Shun and they are collectively known as the Five Legendary Rulers.

Huangdi have many achievements attributed to him. He had good management skills and knows how to use men of ability to help him rule the country and come out with innovations.

He commissioned his subject to develop a written language which contributed to the growth of Chinese Culture. With another he studied the art of healing and compiled "The Yellow Emperor's Medicine Classic". Yet with another he developed the 60 year cycle "Jia Zi" calendar that aided in farming.

Huangdi advocated peace and avoided war. During his reign, the people enjoyed peace and prosperity and it ushered in the age of civilization for the Chinese people.

Zhuanxu who succeeded Huangdi was not his son. He was chosen over Huangdi's many sons because of his outstanding ability. Zhuanxu greatest contribution was to bring law and order to the people plus consolidating the power of the central authority.

After Zhuanxu comes Diku who was a great grandson of Huangdi. Diku was a benevolent king who placed the people's welfare above self. He created new official posts and ministries with clearly demarcated duties such as the Ministry of Land, Forestry, Water, Metal Ores and Fire. And he personally conducted inspections frequently to ensure that the country was well run. He also further improved the calendar which contributed to farming.

Yao was Diku's son. He was industrious and benevolent like his father. He further developed the calendar and modified the timing of planting that resulting in bumper harvests.

Shun was Yao's son in law. Although his mother died when he was very young, and his step mother and father ill-treated him, he remained filial to them. His great virtue helped him to gain fame and he was summoned to King Yao's service at 30. He eventually married King Yao's daughter.

Shun drafted the five rules of etiquette and others rules and regulations which the dukes and princes had to observed. He also divided the country into 12 states with each having its own administrator. He continued to implement changes at the administrative level and set up the department of rites, music, farming, mulberry planting, works, water and land.

Shun was succeeded by Yu who founded the Xia Dynasty. Yu was famed for his ability to control flooding but that is another story for another time.

Henry Fong

Feng Shui Consultant.

Feng Shui Absolutely

Facts About Banana Potassium

For a healthy, happy life and a great source of energy, banana potassium is very important. Bananas are great tropical fruit that has a great source of minerals, vitamin, and protein. It has the capacity of preventing and healing various infections and diseases. It can act as a great diet food due to the calorie content. It can also satisfy people who love sweet products due to the glucose contents.

It is very essential to have a banana as a daily fruit in your diet. Among many fruits, banana is also important as it has a lot of potassium. Potassium is an element which is essential for keeping the blood pressure normal. It also helps in proper functioning of the heart.

Research has found an average banana has an amount of potassium varying from 450 milligrams to 467 milligrams. It has only one milligram of sodium. Apart from bananas, potassium is also present in milk, meats, vegetables and fruits. If you have one banana per day, then you are preventing yourself from atherosclerosis and also from high blood pressure.

A research done on more than 40,000 American men for more than four years showed how a proper diet affects blood pressure. It was found that people who had diet of foods that were high in cereal fiber, magnesium, and rich in potassium had a much less chance of stroke.

The 'Archives of Internal Medicine' has points to prove that people who eat foods high in potassium and fiber like bananas, have a much less risk in developing any heart disease. The potassium-enriched fruit of banana also have the capacity of providing cardiovascular benefits.

Potassium can also increase the health of bones. Banana potassium has the capacity of counteracting the increasing loss of urinary calcium. Such loss is caused by the diets high in salt. This can lead to thinning of the bones at a very fast rate.

Visit the Banana Facts website to learn about how to ripen bananas and banana potassium.

Calories in a Banana

It is important for everybody to know the amount of calories in a banana. Bananas are the immense foundation of dietary importance. They have been looked upon as nature's most beautiful gift.

The carbohydrate constitution of calories in a banana depends on the ripening of the fruit. The sugar level and starch level depends on how ripe it is as well. As the banana ripen, the level of starch falls and the level of sugar rises.

It can be said that bananas become easy to digest if it ripens and the color becomes more yellow. In comparison, the 'protein calories' are only of one percent of the aggregate calorie content. However, one half percent are 'fat calories'.

The amount of calories in a banana varies from medium quantity to low quantity. The source of the amount of calories in a banana is mostly carbohydrates.

Bananas that are peeled and weigh 1 pound will typically have 260 calories.

If you count the amount of calories in a banana which is peeled and small in size, you can find the calories to be around 80.

A banana of standard size can be full of roughly speaking 115 calories.

A small plantain banana, also every so often called as "red bananas", have approximately 115 calories. A pound of red plantain bananas consist of about 400 calories.

Bananas supply a great source of energy when eaten around half an hour prior to any exercise. This is mainly because bananas get digested in a slow manner and a stable continual energy source is achieved and supplied to the body.

Some people suggest avoiding banana when watching your weight. This is because of the heavy calorie composition. For a dieter, the amount of calories in a banana he can have is an 80-calorie banana in his diet chart.

Find tips about growing bananas and how to ripen bananas at the Banana Facts website.