Install That Entry Door Yourself

Five Steps to a Brand New Door

Door replacement is a task that any homeowner can complete, with basic skills, a few tools and patience. In fact, this can be a wonderful opportunity for the do-it-yourself person to learn a new task and save a bit of money that might otherwise be paid to a professional. The choice of a the correct door design and finish can change the look of a room, attract the visitor to the outside of the home, and also help keep the home airtight.

For basic understanding of this task, there are three types of doors: combination doors (screen/storm); entry doors; and interior doors. Five simple steps can lead the individual through the task of replacing an entry door. As most experienced homeowners know, mastering entry door replacement gives the individual the knowledge to replace interior doors (a simpler version of the entry-door technique).

Replacing a combination door follows the same steps as that for entry doors, but the process can be a bit more complex. Manufacturers generally provide good instructions and suggestions for installing combination storm/screen doors. Following these instructions carefully will usually lead to completion of the project with success (and reduced stress). Professionals at the home improvement center or hardware store can also be an excellent source for tips and suggestions.

But where should the do-it-yourself homeowner begin with installing doors? Here are five basic steps for the process, starting with:

Remove The Old Door

Careful removal of the old door is an important first step. After opening the door, place a wedge under the outer corner to take the weight off the door hinges. Remove the hinge pins and set the door aside. This door can be used as a pattern for trimming the new door if it has not been seriously damaged or if it isn't too badly warped.

Remove Hinge Leaves

The next step is to remove the hinge pieces from the frame. Depending on the desire to use existing hardware, these hinges can be reused or new ones can be substituted. Older hinges can be lightly buffed with fine sandpaper to restore some of the original appearance. Be sure the screws for the new hinges are long enough to reach into the stud behind the door frame.

Trim New Door

It would be wise to use the old door as a pattern for the new one. The alternative is to measure the door opening and allow a 1/8" bottom clearance as well as a 1/16" top and side clearance. The bottom clearance for a carpeted floor will probably have to be 3/4". Trim and plane door as necessary, using a fine-tooth saw and good plane.

Prepare New Door For Hinges

New areas must be carved out so the hinge blades can fit smoothly into the frame and door. Using the old door can help with proper location of hinges. A pencil outline of the hinge is essential for cutting this depression in the wood. Carefully chisel out the wood, with several cuts to the depth of the hinge leaf.

Interior Design-Feng Shui Values

Feng Shui is not a decorating style, nor a collection of ornaments for an interior design project. Feng Shui is an art, or a discipline that involves complex elements: religion, philosophy, astrology, aesthetics, mathematics and a "little something" called the "chi" (a person's inner energy or "cosmic breath"). Translated literally Feng Shui means "wind-water" and is the art of achieving harmony not only for living spaces, but also for day-to-day living and life. Feng Shui takes its inspiration from the natural environment.

In the traditional Chinese thinking, nature is balance and harmony. By following the patterns of nature the Feng Shui practitioner can achieve this balance in his/her home and in his/her life. While in China Feng Shui is a discipline, in the Western world this is just an interior design technique, with more or less clear rules and unambiguous patterns. The main concept of Feng Shui designs is based on "wind", "water" and nature's "chi". This is why Feng Shui practitioners will focus their decoration patterns on aligning the elements to follow the natural flow of nature. For example, among the guidelines for proper Feng Shui designs, decorators should avoid clutter, straight lines and sharp corners. Clutter is supposed to create a "bad energy" and shift the focus from harmony to chaos, straight lines are associated with the paths followed by evil spirits and sharp corners tend to attract dirt (cobwebs, dust, etc).

In the western world, the religious beliefs of Feng Shui don't matter. Interior designers don't use crystals, Feng Shui water fountains and mirrors because of their supernatural abilities, but as mood boosters. Planning a working space (office) so that the worker faces the entrance has a logical explanation: no one likes to be distraught by unexpected visitors. Feng Shui decorators use colors, light, water and even music and sound to attain a space that contains a strong positive energy. For example bedrooms should be always free of bad "chi". When the energy in a bedroom is hostile it may cause problems within the couple. A messy room has a bad "chi". Clothes or other items scattered around the bedroom create clutter. Dirty windows increase the bad "chi". Lack of fresh air it's even worse. Believe it or not, these are basic principles of the Feng Shui as much as they are common sense aspects.

Out of the all rooms in a home, the kitchen is the most sensible to bad "chi". Smells are important for a good "chi". The kitchen has often not so pleasant smells, especially when cooking. Although for the senses a steak's aroma is delightful for a short time, how would you feel to breathe each day an air that smells like meat? You'll lose appetite. So it is important for a kitchen needs to be permanently clean, free from garbage and broken plates and cups, aerated on regular basis and neat. The predominant smells in the kitchen should be related to fresh fruits of herbs. While the art of Feng Shui takes a lifetime to perfect, its basic concepts should be followed in each interior design project: harmony, tidiness, cleanness and freshness.

Porch Screens

A screened porch is a safe haven for many people during the summer. It is shady, often cooler than the inside of the house and gives people the opportunity to sit outside in the fresh air without having to worry about being inundated by bugs or other creatures. People are especially grateful for the screens on their porches when they want to eat outside. There is nothing worse than having some bug land right in the middle of your dinner.

There are, of course, different types of porch screens. There are two basic varieties: the kind that will keep bugs out and the kind that will keep larger creatures out.

Insect screens are typically made up by mesh that is either eighteen by fourteen or eighteen by sixteen. These numbers refer to the number of wires per inch. There are always eighteen wires per inch going in one direction on a porch screen, but insect ones can come in either fourteen wires per inch or sixteen wires per inch going in the other direction. Typically these wire arrangements create squares that are smaller than one sixteenth of an inch square. These two variations of insect screens will keep out must of the bugs that would be a bother, but experts suggest using a twenty by twenty mesh one made of fiberglass for porches that might have a problem with very tiny bugs.

These screens can be made from the aforementioned fiberglass as well as galvanized steel, aluminum or bronze. Each type of screen has its own problems. Galvanized steel mesh has to be replaced the most often because the coating that protects it will flake off, which will let the wires of the screen rust. Aluminum will stand up to corrosion or rusting, but does not work well in coastal areas.

Pet-Resistant Screens (the type of screens that will keep larger creatures out) is a fairly new development. One brand, PetScreen, boasts that its screens are seven times stronger than the porch screens made to just keep the insects out. Pet-Resistant screens are made of polyester that has been vinyl coated. It is installed in the same way that insect porch screens are installed, but offers a sturdier barrier between your porch and the creatures who might try to wander on to it.

There are also wind resistant and sun-shading ones which are made from stronger mesh that can resist the wind and other products that can help protect the people sitting on the porch from up to ninety percent of the sun's heat and UV rays.

Screens are a good idea, especially if you live in an area that has a reputation for its bugs or stray creatures. Even if you live in an area relatively bug and creature free, the wind resistant or shadier screens might be a good idea. They will make sitting outside more comfortable almost no matter what the weather conditions happen to be.

Choosing the Proper Paint Color & Finish For the Interior of Your Home

When choosing paint colors and finishes for the walls and ceilings in your home it can be a tricky process. There are an endless amount of finishes and paint colors to choose from and deciding which ones will best fit your décor can take a great deal of decision making.

There is an infinite quantity of colors to choose from, though this seems as if it would be accommodating, it's more likely to become irritating. This can be an especially hard decision if there are a great deal of shades that catch your eye or fit well with how you have envisioned the design of your room.

Collecting samples of different colors and patterns can help to give you ideas about what you might want to choose to makeover your space. It's also helpful to know how certain colors can affect our moods and emotions. You would not want to paint your bedroom in a loud shade when you go to that place for sleep, relaxation, and tranquility. Just like you would not want to coat your office in a color that suggests slumber or rest when you it is a place that you go to something important accomplished.

People sometimes choose to select the color of their space and then the hue of the furniture, carpet, decor, etc. This can make the course of action more complicated than it should necessarily be. If you hold off until you have chosen the decorating scheme for the room then you will have a much easier time choosing the paint that goes with the entire color design of the room.

Once you have chosen a color for the interior of your home, make certain to double check that it's exactly what you have envisioned. It is always possible to choose something that may seem like it will go with the nature of the room, but in reality it does not do the room justice. If you take the time to make sure you have chosen the right paint for your space it can help you to save yourself a great deal of strife

Choosing the right finish for the surface that you have painted is just as important as the primary paint job. Adding a finish to your ceiling can help to spice up the room and make it much more appealing.

Adding a finish to the ceiling is best to do in areas that are held in reserve. These areas can include but are not limited to living rooms, dens, and/or dining rooms. Ceilings are usually painted with a flat finish. Flat finishes are the best for ceilings because they are easy to touch up and they hide flaws especially well. Having a finished ceiling is a significant part of having a home that looks put together and polished.

Choosing the best paint and finish for the surfaces in your home can help bring together a well-designed look for its interior.

Prepare Your Rooms for Interior House Painting

Being a homeowner is a huge responsibility as the house that you live in is not only the foundation where your nearest and dearest are, but it is your biggest asset in terms of your financial outlook. Many homeowners view this responsibility from both the investment and the family perspectives and as a result, are continually making improvements to their home. Consistent renovations to your home are a way of making your home a happier and more pleasant place to live, as well as to increase the value of your investment should you ever decide to sell your house.

The easiest and least expensive way of increasing both intrinsic and extrinsic value to your home is through interior painting. House painting is a very common means of home renovation that can give your room or set of rooms an instant facelift and is very easy to do on your own. If you decide to add house painting to your list of things to do this year, here are a few tips you should keep in mind before you get that first roller wet.

Painting your home's interiors requires a great deal of preparation and calculation. After you have selected the themes and colors for the room or rooms you are painting, you will need to ensure your rooms are adequately prepared before you begin painting. Even the cleanest rooms and walls will need the surfaces to be prepared before you begin the painting stage.

You first want to take off all of the switch plates from the walls and conduct a thorough dusting of your room. Use a feather duster or broom to sweep out every corner from ceiling to floor and then vacuum the room thoroughly.

Look for any holes or cracks in the wall surfaces and patch them up with spackling paste or wall plaster. Once you have patched any holes, you will then need to sand over the patching or spackling to ensure the patch you have created is flush with the wall. This will ensure a flat even coat of paint on your wall. Once you have done this, you will have to dust and vacuum again as sanding will create a large amount of dust. Ensure you dust and vacuum not only your floors, but the walls as well. Sanding will leave dust particles that may not be visible to the naked eye, and your paint will find those dust particles if you don't leaving unsightly bumps on your walls.

Your next step before you begin interior house painting will be to wash your walls thoroughly. You can use a mop to reach the corners and higher areas, but you need to wash and rinse your walls of any cleaning residue. Once your walls have dried from the washing, you are ready to begin your interior house painting. Use painters tape to mark off door ways, baseboards, and ceilings so that your paint applications are smooth and even.

If you follow these steps you will find your interior house painting experience to be one that is not only simple, but rewarding. The preparation in interior house painting is often a more arduous task than the actual painting itself. However if you prepare your walls and your rooms properly, you will find the hard work will pay off in beautiful interiors for your home.