After further inspection I think the walls in the bedroom can be salvaged but I was not exactly sure what steps were next in the refurbishing process. I took a trip down to our Sherwin Williams store to find out.

First step is to repair the damage. To repair the damaged areas use a plaster patch compound not just a drywall compound. The drywall compound is designed to work with paper faced material. Your plaster is not paper faced so you need a a compound designed specifically for plaster.

Yes your walls can be painted. Be sure you use an oil based primer. I was told that many people go the cheaper route and use a latex based primer and then are truly unhappy when the walls bleed through and show spots sort of like water damage. I know exactly what he is talking about because I didn’t prime an area upstairs and stuck wallpaper over it and saw the spots. The oil based primer is more expensive around $36 but I am only going to need a gallon so what is $36 compared to having to do the work a second time.

After your walls have been patched and primed you can use your favorite latex paint to finish the job. Good luck.

Bookmark to:

There are a few online tools that will allow you to layout your entire kitchen from appliances to decor and then show it in 3-d. You input the dimensions of your room add windows and door openings and then begin the design process. If you use the Lowe’s tool you can actually select from several different major appliances like refrigerators, dishwashers, cook tops, ranges. Beyond that you can also add small appliances like to toasters to the counter to determine if you have enough counter space to support your cooking style. The appliances specs are taking from top names like GE, Electrolux, Kitchenaide and more. From there you can add top and bottom counters. After you determine the spacial design of your kitchen the Lowe’s tools goes one step further and allows you to add some color to the counters, cabinets and the flooring so you can actually get an overall perspective of what you want. The Lowe’s tools is a great free starter to design your kitchen because it will display the kitchen in 2-D as well as 3-D and allow you to change the viewpoint. The tool will also help you with the design of your laundry room and bathroom.

The Lowe’s tools is a great free started tool. If you plan on taking your design much further such as laying out the furniture and the rest of the color design for your house you should try a dedicated software program like . HGTV Home Designer or Punch software home and landscape design. I love these types of tools because they are about as close as you can get to walking into the real think when you are building or remodeling your home.

Bookmark to:

The science behind a heat pump pool heater is not terribly complicated. This is the dumb blonde version of what happens to heat your pool water. Heat Pro heat pumps work as well as others by pumping freon through the system. Freon starts as a liquid with the use of a compressor and a condenser heat is pulled from the water in the air pushed through a compressor which heats the freon turning it into gas. The heat from the gas heats your pool water. As the gas heats the pool it returns to a liquid state and starts the process all over again.

A swimming pool heat pump price is determined by the make model and type of the pool heat pump installation costs. Pool heat pump prices may seem higher than that of a gas pool heater but they are extremely energy efficient making the initial investment in a heat pump pool heater a mart choice.

Hayward claims a 500% to 600% energy efficiency rating for each dollar you invest in heat pump pool heater you get a $5 – $6 return. Other heat pump pool heating manufactures like Pentair pool heat pumps and Raypak pool heat pumps are also reputable companies.

To create a pool heat pump review to select the best swimming pool heat pump speak to manufactures and dealers in your area. Also ask your neighbors and friends about the actually energy and financial savings they are experiencing.

Bookmark to:

Curious I did some research and found that this isn’t necessarily a new building concept.  It is fairly new to our area.  I only found 3 builders in the area that work with this type of SIPS.  The first SIPs structure was built in 1935 for the US Forest Proucts Labratory in 1935.  It began to rise in popularty again in the 1970’s during the energy crunch. 

SIPS panels by enercept

I think that SIPs construction is something I will be doing more research in.

Bookmark to:

The light refracted in the tube can also be difused to create different lighting effects in your home.  So straight sunlight is not the only option.  You can work with your supplier to add different lens to create a warm or cool color effect in your home.  You can also use different lens to dim the light coming into the room.

The sun can now light your home without using electricity and still give you several options for lighting.

Bookmark to:

This cottage house plan

Cottage House Plan

is unique because it has a master bedroom one the first and second floor.  This home would be perfect for multi-generational families or convert one floor as a rental space.

This cottage home plan would also be a terrific beach house plan, coastal house plan or a florida cracker house plan.

You could easily build this home on a corner lot.

The kitchen is a chefs dream.  It features an island as well as a walk in pantry.  The storage in this unit is a big plus.

Bookmark to: