1. Getting Someone Else To Do It

As I said, it can be fulfilling to do your own roof, and it can also be cost-saving. But if you really don’t know what you’re doing, are learning all the informatin for the first time, and have little DIY experience, you may be best off hiring someone else and taking the financial hit.

2. Weather

Roofing is a big job and you’ll want to schedule your plans, but you have to accept that weather is a fine reason to delay. Your main things to look out for are wind and wetness. Wind can be tolerated up to a certain level, but remember that there’s a good chance it’ll be windier on the roof than on the ground. Wetness of any kind is trouble waiting to happen, so if it rains, put off the work.

3. Equipment

There’s gear to consider on the roof itself, like roof brackets and hooks, guardrails, and standoffs. Then there’s the gear you wear, including harnesses, helmets, and proper footwear. Get boots with some serious grip! It also should go without saying, make sure your ladder is in excellent condition and has never needed repair.

4. Plan Ahead

Make sure you are able to get your materials on the roof before you climb up; it is NOT a good idea to bring them up the ladder with you! Also, make sure you do extensive research and leave no unanswered questions. You want to know exactly what your plan is and have all the materials you could possibly need completely ready before you start.

Those are the basics! There’s still more to know before starting the project, including how to safely use the tools you plan on using, and how to set up the ladder right.

Remember, falls represent the highest cause of injury and death of all construction-related dangers. It’s not worth taking the chance being unprepared or ill-equipped.

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Roofing Safety Basics

The first thing you should do is contact the city you live in to find out what the zoning laws are and whether or not you need a building permit.  This will usually depend on the size of your backyard in relation to the size of the shed you want to build.

Needless to say, make sure you already have your plans and all your materials before starting any DIY project.  There are many shed plans and material lists online, or you can visit your local hardware store and ask them for assistance.

Make sure the ground area for your shed is as flat and level as possible.

A shed needs a good foundation, and you can decide whether to build one out of wood or concrete.  Concrete is definitely the more durable choice, but a good quality wood will still last for years, is more affordable, and is easy to cut and move.

If you live in an area where the ground freezes in the winter, you’ll want to protect the floor of your shed from the expanding soil water which can crack the wood.  Support posts made of wood or concrete are excellent solutions as they elevate the shed off the frozen ground.

Your floor frame should consist of lumber that has been treated against wood rot and wood-eating insects, as should the plywood used for the floor itself, which will protect it from water dripping off any tools you might store.

You should construct the walls using 2” X 4”s and plywood.  The wall studs should be 7’-3” high, they should be spaced 1’-4” apart, while the top and bottom plates can be as long as your plans call for.   The easiest method for this is to nail the whole thing together on the floor, then erect it once completed.  If you plan on working inside the shed during the winter, you can insulate the walls for added warmth.

Don’t forget to add a doorway into the front wall!  You’d be surprised how many times people forget to do this.

Now, what type of roof you build is up to you, you can construct either a gambrel, a gable, or a saltbox roof.  You will also need to know the difference between a rafter and a joist.  The following is a decent guide on how to build a roof for your  shed.  Once constructed, apply 90lb mineral coated tar paper to the roof, starting from the lower end and working your way up using roofing nails and roofing glue.

Before you start painting your shed, make sure to apply a paintable siliconized latex caulk along all the exposed joints where water might leak in.  Cover all the exposed wood with an exterior wood primer before applying any paint.

When choosing your shed door, make sure it’s wide enough  for all your huge gardening tools like your lawnmower or snow-blower.  A nice double sliding door is a good option.  You can even install windows if you like, although sometimes complete privacy is what you need to truly express your constructive self.

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How to Build a Shed

So if you’ve decided to get all your adult friends together for some spooky, costumed fun, you’re going to need to set the right mood. Here’s a guide on how to create the perfect setting for a frighteningly delightful adult Halloween party.

Lighting

Nothing says Haunted like dark lighting. Switch the light bulbs in the rooms you’ve sectioned off for the party to black lights and red lights. Think burlesque meets Halloween. In the rooms with black lights, hang some red Christmas lights and in the room with red lights, hang black Christmas lights.
You can also use candles and Jack-o-lanterns and place them around the home.

Effects

To create the Halloween mood, you can visit any Dollar store to find props like cobwebs and spider webs to hang around the house. Scary masks are another good idea to have hanging on the walls. You can also place some gravestones in different party areas, perhaps with your friends’ names on it. If you really want to go all out, I would suggest renting a smoke machine for the main party area to create an eerie mist on the floor.

Sound

If you want to get your ghastly guests dancing, music will definitely be in order. You may want to include Halloween-themed sounds like howling wolves, whistling wind, faint screams and eerie organ music which should be easy to find on the web. In terms of music, you can either hire a DJ, or make your own spooky playlist.

Here are four of my suggestions:
Portishead- Numb
watch?v=WUlr_E1Xy2I
Tricky- Overcome
watch?v=6V26zxH_JMk
Dj Shadow- Dark Days
watch?v=Zrn_UcWCkzQ&feature=related
Amon Tobin- Nightlife
watch?v=wTL0t_HHkZI

Food & Beverage

Whether you decide to make the party a BYO or not, it’s still proper hosting etiquette to have some food and beverages available for your guests. For instance you can make your own Halloween ginger rum punch, you can serve severed fingers (really cocktail sausages), coagulated blood dip (made of beets) and many other fun and disgusting treats. Chips and other “normal” finger foods can also be served, of course.

Entertainment

Games are also a great way to add spice to your party and you can visit this great site for a list of adult Halloween party games.

Happy Halloween!

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How To Decorate For An Awesome, Spooky Adult Halloween Party

If you happened to be one these unfortunate souls who lives in a house, the following are some tips on how to zombie-proof your home.

A moat

The first thing you want to do is stop the zombies from getting anywhere near your house.  This can be achieved by digging a very deep moat along the outer rim of your property with a drawbridge.  Make sure the moat is deep enough to stop the zombies from crawling out, this can be further achieved by building a 12’ cement wall along the inner rim of the moat.  The moat doesn’t need to be extremely wide, as zombies are not known for their long jumping abilities, but just in case, you should know that the longest jump a human has ever accomplished is a little over 29’.

Land Mines

I really don’t think the zombies will get past your moat, but just in case they happen to be super-athletic sprinting and jumping zombies a la 28 Days Later, you may want to bury land mines in your front lawn, spaced about 1’ apart from each other; there’s no point taking any chances.  You might want to cancel your newspaper subscription though, the last thing you need is the paper boy hurling the Sunday Times over your concrete wall and detonating one of your land mines.

Doors and Windows

I still don’t think any zombies could get past your moat.  But let’s just say they somehow manage to clear the moat, scale the 12’ wall and tip toe through your mine field without blowing up into a million zombie bits, you’ll want to make sure all your windows and doors are properly reinforced.  Steel doors and bullet proof glass should be fine. Just be sure to lock the doors!

If your house has a door or window that leads to your roof, this is a good place to go with your shot guns, machines guns, just be sure to have plenty of ammunition.  From there you can watch in absolute amazement as zombies get past your moat, over the wall and through the mines, and as they start to bang on your impenetrable steel door, you can pick them off one by one.  Refrain from using hand grenades, as you might accidentally hurl one too close to the side of your house, and the subsequent explosion might damage the integrity of your fortress.

Panic Room + Escape Tunnel

Should your child or absent-minded husband forget to lock the door and the zombies breach your home, you’ll need a panic room to retreat to, whose door and walls should be made completely out of steel.  Make sure this room is equipped with enough non-perishable food items and drinkable water for several months.  You will also want to make sure this room has a working plumbing system.  Once inside the room you can watch the zombie’s progress from all the video cameras you should have already installed during your initial zombie-apocalypse paranoia.

If your house fills to the brim with zombies, and they don’t show signs of leaving anytime soon (ie. Checking their watches multiple times, bored sighs, making sideways head nods towards the front door to the other zombies etc.) you will need some sort of escape tunnel.  The only problem with escape tunnels is that they usually lead to the outside where the zombies are.  Make sure your escape tunnel leads to somewhere safe like directly into a maximum security prison cell or Australia.

Although I wouldn’t worry too much about the need for the panic room or the escape tunnel, as I truly believe that the zombies won’t ever get past your moat.  Of course an even easier solution to zombie-proof your home would be to move to the 6th floor of an apartment building.

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How to Zombie-Proof Your House

Electric Hazards

There are over 10, 000 electrical related fires every year. Old, damaged wiring is one of the more insidious causes of fires in the home. The older your wiring the more susceptible it is to deterioration. One of the most dangerous electrical conditions is arc-faulting. An arc-fault occurs when loose or corroded connections make intermittent contact and causes sparking or arcing between the connections. This translates into heat, which will break down the insulation of the wire and can be the trigger for an electrical fire. It could be a nail impinging on the wires or even furniture. To suppress arc-faults, is to get an arc-fault circuit interrupter. It detects non-working electrical arc and disconnect the power before the arc starts a fire.

Falls

Some people have to wear a medical alert Canada bracelet when they have difficulty walking or are at a high risk of falling. But they aren’t the only ones who face this potential danger. We could fall down stairs, slip on rugs, fall off chairs, and slip on wet tiles. These are actually responsible for 7000 deaths each year, according to the Coalition for Consumer Health and Safety. You could apply double-faced adhesive tape to the back of rugs to keep them in place. Put non-spil mats in bathtubs.

Clogged dryer exhaust ducts

Dryer lint will catch fire very easily, which is why regular vacuuming of the dryer’s exhaust system is a must.

Air freshners

NRDC recently tested 14 different air fresheners and found that 12 contained chemicals called phthalates (pronounced thal-ates), chemicals that can cause hormonal abnormalities, birth defects and reproductive problems. Even air fresheners marketed as “all-natural” or “unscented” contained the hazardous chemicals. The best way to prevents these risks is to open your windows to get rid of odours.

Boiling water in the microwave

watch?v=nkM8XpY3ItA
Heating water in the microwave may cause it to superheat (reach a temperature beyond the natural boiling point of 100 degrees Celsius) and potentially explode. Leave a non-metallic object in the cup or bowl when you microwave water, and be conservative about how long you heat the water up and which settings you use.

Squirrels

Squirrels running around your attic could be very dangerous as they seem to love the taste of electrical insulation. This puts your home in risk of fire. To prevent squirrels from entering your attic you should repair open areas with a steel mesh.

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Hidden Hazards in Your Home

First, you need a plan. Assess the space you’ll be using taking into consideration the total amount of square footage, access to other parts of the house, current natural lighting, and the amount of construction that might be needed. Do a mock layout using a computer remodeling program, or even just on paper if you prefer the simpler way of doing things, then ask friends and family for their ideas.

When it’s time to build, consider the ambiance you’re trying to create when choosing materials. If you like dark and rich, there are plenty of gorgeous wood materials for the cabinetry, stools, wall, and the bar itself. Woods range in color and grain from dark cherries and mahoganies to lighter oaks and maples. If you can’t afford solid wood there are laminated products which don’t look as rich but are substantially less expensive.

Those with more modern tastes might like to incorporate stone or brick elements in their design. Concrete-based “faux stones”, which were quite popular in the 80s, are making a comeback in home remodeling projects, especially those centering around the fireplace or bar. Just remember, the new catchphrase for stone and brick is “minimalist”. These elements can be overpowering if you use too much or put them in the wrong place. Be careful in your application.

Probably the most important element for the perfect bar is lighting. Avoid recessed lighting as it tends to look less inviting and quite mechanical. This is a bar after all, not the Pardons Canada office. Track lighting works well because the individual lights can be moved, pointed, and rotated to give some very interesting effects. Be sure to use dimmer switches and soft bulbs for a more intimate atmosphere. If you’re looking for a little extra flair, remote control lighting systems originally designed for exterior applications can do wonders for the home bar. And of course, make sure you budget a few hundred dollars for a neon sign or two.

If you’re a sports fan, than what better place to host a game than at your very own bar. If you have a large enough space (and budget) you can really impress your friends with multi viewer screens, of course, one decent sized flat screen will do as well.

Finally, if you trick out your bar with a theme it tends to be more attractive to visitors, not to mention allowing you to display whatever turns you on. Whether it’s your favorite sports team, a hobby, a foreign country you’ve visited, or something else, your home bar is a place where you should feel right at home.

Cheers!

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Home Design Ideas: How to Build a Bar

1- Eliminate Clutter

If you want space, you’re going to have to do some downsizing. Start by storing only what you need and use regularly in your kitchen. Whatever you use most (plates, cutlery) should be kept anywhere between eye level and your hip in order to minimize bending and crouching. Containers to store spices etc..  are an organizing-must. You can also store things by adding hooks on the wall and inside cabinet doors, or even place small shelves in the style of hunting tree stands.

2- Paint it White, Paint it Bright

By painting the walls and cabinets of your kitchen white, or a light bright colour, you will make the room look more airy and open. Light colors increase the sense of spaciousness whereas dark ones make it seem smaller. Warm colors like mango, pale yellow, and ivory look beautiful in kitchens. You can also add undermounted lights under your cabinets to enhance lighting.

3- Add a Counter Extension

Lack of counter space is a frequent complaint about small kitchens. You can easily solve this problem by buying a ready-made counter extension kit that comes with all the components you need. Fold-out counters or tabletops add extra workspace when you need it. If you are the do-it-yourself type, some simple carpentry can go a long way. Just sand-down a plank of wood, cover it with granite, ceramic tiles, or whatever matches your current countertop and then install your hinges.

4- Up, Up and Away

Not sure what to do with all those pots and pans? Install a hanging pot and pan rack. Pot and pan racks can be mounted from the ceiling or against a wall. This helps you save both counter and cabinet space. Depending on your taste and your budget, you can get one made of brass, chrome, copper, wrought iron or wood. If you happen to have an island in your kitchen, above it is the perfect place to put your pot rack. Also, it’s a good idea to store big things that you don’t use on a regular basis above your shelves.

5- Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

A great way to give the appearance of space is to add a kitchen backsplash mirror. Not only will it protect your walls, it also makes them easier to clean. The easiest thing to do is to purchase some mirror tiles. They are simple to install yourself and match any style of kitchen.

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5 Tips For Optimizing a Small Kitchen Space

Yes, colours affect our mood, like ecommerce affects the marketplace, which is why there are basics to choosing particular colours for particular rooms. Depending on the size, how much light the room gets, there are things to consider before rolling on the paint. Colours can be described as active, passive or neutral. Active colors, also referred to as warm colors are shades that include red, orange and yellow. These colors are full of energy and are said to inspire socialization. Passive Colors (cool colors) include purple, blue and green. These colors have a calming effect on a person. Neutrals are impartial colors that include white, gray, beige and brown. Neutral shades are often what bring different rooms together and create harmony between the colors within a home. Darker neutral tones have the power to subdue colors, while white has the power to intensify them.

You can easily match every room’s colors to your personal taste. Light colors will open up a room making it seem larger and brighter. Dark colors are sophisticated and warm; they give large rooms a more intimate appearance.

Red

Red increases energy levels, but is also said to raise blood pressure, speed respiration and heart rate. Not ideal for anyone suffering a heart condition. It also may not be the best colour to use in a main room however in a bedroom it gives a certain lustful ambiance that may be fun to spice things up with your significant other. It may not be as romantic as sporadically planning one of those last-minute vacations for you and your lover, but there’s never any harm in being full of surprises.

Yellow

Yellow captures the warmth and brightness of sunshine which is why it is ideal for kitchens, dining rooms, bathrooms, halls, and small entries, as it can feel expansive and welcoming.

Blue

Blue brings down blood pressure and slows respiration and heart rate. It is a calming, relaxing, colour often recommended for bedrooms and bathrooms. Stick to the softer shades of blue as dark blue can evoke feelings of sadness.

Green

Green will make any room in the house warm, welcoming and fresh. Green goes very well in a family room or living room. It encourages comfort and togetherness.
Orange is a great colour to use in an exercise room as it is an energetic colour that evokes excitement and enthusiasm.

Neutrals

Neutrals (black, gray, white, and brown) can be used to tie other colours together or simply on their own. Essentially, any room can benefit from a neutral color scheme.

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Room Colour And Your Mood

One habit which can literally transform your life is to start your morning earlier. It might be tough in the beginning, but it is completely worth it.  One hour is all you need to get your day off to a great start.  You can relax, enjoy a healthy breakfast, sip your coffee, read the newspaper, exercise, talk with your spouse, your kids, get some work done on that project you’ve been putting off.  What you’ve done by giving yourself one extra hour is you’ve taken some control of your day back.  You go into work when you’re ready, not in some sort of scramble against the clock.  You get to devote your fresh brain towards your own work and projects, giving it the focus it deserves, and when you come home after work, you can actually relax because you already got your work done in the morning.

Automate a proper wake up:

When that alarm clock goes off you start your day off stressed and alarmed. By smartening your home with technology you can wake up in a more natural fashion, feeling more refreshed and less like smashing your alarm clock with a baseball bat.  You can set both your thermostat and your lights on a timer, so that at the appropriate time, the room temperature begins to rise, as well as the lights which begin to fade up, imitating the rising of the sun, waking you up more gradually instead of yanking you out of your peaceful slumber.  You can also install speakers throughout your house, controllable from every room, and you can have your favorite music CD or the sounds of nature to gradually increase in volume as well.  But don’t forget, set all your timers one hour early!

How to maximize your mornings

Now that your up you want to make sure you maximize that hour before heading out the door to work.  If we were all Doc Browns from Back to the Future, then we’d probably all have automated breakfast machines which would crack and cook the eggs, fry the bacon, toast the toast, brew and pour the coffee for us, without having to lift a finger.  Unfortunately we’re not, but that doesn’t mean we can’t automate our mornings, but most of the work can be done the night before:

-Prepare and pack your lunch in the evenings so you can just grab and go in the morning.

-Buy yourself a coffee machine with a timer, and set in to go off when you wake up.  The smell of coffee brewing is a great start to the day and it will be ready as soon as you step out of the shower.

-Ask your significant other or your kids or train your dog to bring the morning paper to the breakfast table.

-If you’re lucky enough to have someone in your life to prepare breakfast, awesome.  If not, a few quick breakfast ideas include:

- Bowl of cereal with chopped fruit and milk
- Scrambled eggs, toast, sliced tomatoes
- Yogurt with granola and chopped fruit
- Fruit smoothie in the blender
- Whole wheat bagel with cream cheese and blueberries

So now you’ve woken up naturally, you’re showered, shaved, informed and on a full stomach, and you still have that extra hour to write that novel or screenplay you’ve been neglecting; go for that morning jog (hopefully before you’ve showered and eaten!); learn a new song on the guitar; enjoy your family etc.  And best of all, you don’t feel controlled by your job.

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Smart Homes: How to Wake Up & Maximize Your Mornings

How To Fix Basic Toilet Problems

Clogged Toilet:

We have all been in a position where we’ve finished our business, looked down into the toilet bowl and wondered, “is that going to flush?” We take our chances, shutting our eyes with naïve hope, but as we suspected the water from the bowl rises progressively instead.  What to do? As quick as you can, shut off the valve to the toilet, located just under the toilet tank. Give the water a minute to drain. Next, grab your plunger in order to relieve the clog. Make sure you’re covering the hole completely. Pull up on the plunger to create suction in the drain, then push in to create pressure. Several pumps should do the trick.

Continuously Running Toilet:

Basically, a toilet will make that constant running sound when the float arm doesn’t raise up high enough to turn off the inlet valve inside the toilet. You can try flushing the toilet a few times without decompressing the handle completely. If this doesn’t work, take off the lid of the tank and see if the stopper is sitting squarely on the flush valve seat. It’s very possible that the chain is probably caught under the side of the stopper. You can fix the situation by ”jiggling the handle” i.e. pulling the chain out from the stopper.

Another idea is to shorten the length of the chain by loosening the link on top of the stopper that attaches the stopper to the chain, then placing the stopper squarely on the valve seat. Next, pull the chain taut to the stopper using a link that will still leave a little slack, then attach the chain to the stopper. Make sure the handle (on the outside) is up and the lift arm is down; this will place them in the proper position to pull up the chain and stopper.

Other Bathroom Repair Tips:

Clogged Sink:

There are several techniques for unclogging a sink, depending on how far gone your problem is. Most clogs in sinks and tubs are due to a combination of hair and soaps that accumulate in tepid water. If you have metal pipes, boil water and pour it down the drain. Make sure you pour the boiling water down the drain and not directly on the porcelain sink. You can also try using a plunger, particularly for plastic pipes. If the clog does not clear by using a plunger, try a sink auger designed for sink and waste lines. Extend the auger cable into the drain. Pull out about 12 inches more of the cable and tighten the set screw. Turn the crank handle of the auger with firm but gentle pressure. Extend more cable as required until you feel you’ve worked through the clog. Repeat and then flush with hot water from the faucet once the drain starts to flow.

Leaking Shower Head:

If you want to repair a dripping shower head, first unscrew the showerhead from the pipe, either by hand or with a set of pliers. Inside the showerhead you will find a small washer made of plastic or a rubber O-ring, which is likely damaged and needs to be replaced. Next, wrap the showerhead stem with some type of pipe sealer and remount the showerhead on the stem. Turn the water on and off and see if your showerhead leaks or not. If so, there may be a problem with the shower’s water-control valve and most probably require a plumber.

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Bathroom Maintenance & Repair Tips: Plumbing 101