Rock Wool Insulation
With winter here - as well as the heating bills - it's important to understand how a home uses its energy. In particular, it helps to understand how
your home uses its energy. Essentially, there are two different ways: efficiently and inefficiently. If your home isn't up to snuff in its energy efficiency, you'll want to keep reading this article. It won't only save you headaches, it will save you money.
One of the first principles in energy efficiency is keeping the energy you're producing, and this is often done through insulation. Much of the energy your home is using is for generating heat. If you're losing heat to the outside world all the time, then your energy bills are going to stay sky-high. You'll essentially be using more energy to keep the same amount of heat other people have. If your home is old, it will help to check the insulation you have in your walls, learn about crucial points in which you can save much of your heat, and learn ways to test for "heat leaks."
Consider installing more energy-efficient windows and doors to amp up your home's ability to insulate, as well. If you're buying a home, ask about having these installed right off the bat.
Another way to change how energy efficient you keep your home is to purchase equipment that will simply use less energy off the bat. New, modern heaters, air conditioners, and washers/dryers will be able to do much of the same job using less energy, helping you save on your monthly bills. Of course, these appliances can cost a heavy sum upfront, so it might take a keen eye for shopping and perhaps a bit of sacrifice in order to make your home energy-efficient. Key appliances like refrigerators, washers/dryers, water heaters, and dishwashers are some of the appliances to think about. If you want to upgrade to a more energy-efficient appliance, you might consider selling the old one, as well, in order to offset the costs.
Optimizing your home's insulation and the equipment that use energy are great places to focus on reducing your energy uses. You can also use conservation as a way to stave off your energy usage, but if you want to maintain your lifestyle with less energy, you can do that, as well. For many people, simply utilizing both strategies reduces the most energy use possible.
Photo Credits: iLoveButter
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Posted by Fix Handyman on January 26, 2010 in
Energy, Handyman, House, How to Fix
Oven repairs.
When your oven's broken, you know it right away. A broken oven isn't something that can wait for the winter - when you need something cooked, you need it cooked for tonight's dinner! That means that your repairs can't wait, and neither should you: that's why this article will give you a quick summary on how to repair a broken oven and how to address some of the most frequent problems that arise.
The first thing to consider is the oven type itself. Most ovens will either be an oven run by gas or by electricity. If you've cooked before, you should probably have an idea of which one it is, but if you're new to the place and haven't had the time to investigate, now is the time to double-check. Do you have an electric oven or a gas oven?
Once you know the type of oven you have, it's important to understand the type of problems these different types frequently face. For example, a gas oven will usually have problems that effect the ignition of the gas or the supply of the gas. IMPORTANT NOTE: With gas stoves, make sure there are no leaks. If you're not sure, you'll want to call in a professional.
The other most frequent oven type, the electric oven, has its own typical problems. When it comes to these electric appliances, you'll usually encounter your problem with the heating devices located within the oven itself. If you really want to find out what's wrong with your electric oven, be sure to be careful that you don't touch anything that is charged. It's best to be extra cautious when working with either a gas or an electric oven.
Once you've made sure that the gas and electricity to your oven are turned off, you'll be able to finally make some repairs. The first thing to do to fix your broken oven is actually to take the oven apart. If you've never worked with an oven before, you'll want to keep detailed notes about how you took the oven apart so that you can put it back together again.
Huh? Take the oven apart? You heard me right. As you take the oven apart, you should be able to find the problem, if you haven't already. Taking the oven apart will help you to identify the problem, and either fix it or identify the need for a replacement. In doing so, you'll also learn about how your oven works for future reference.
Photo Credits: SuperFantastic
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Posted by Fix Handyman on October 12, 2009 in
appliances, home repair, kitchen
Clean out that debris!
If there's one thing that separates the do-it-yourself professionals from the amateurs, it's the ability to conserve. Using old things in new ways is the hallmark of the savvy home improvement fanatic, and nothing is when it comes to gutters. If you have an old gutter and want to install a modern rain removal system, there's no reason you can't teach the old dog new tricks and make it work it better ways. It will save you money and time, so why not?
The first thing you'll want to do with an old gutter is to clean it off - cracked-on dirt, debris, and dust can hide some leaks and holes that you need to know about. Be generous with the house and scrub the thing so that it looks as new as it can. After you've let it dry a little, try running some water through it as a test. If there are any leaks or holes, it's time to make sure that those leaks are no more.
In order to repair a leak or a hole in your old gutter, you're going to need to re-seal it. Gutter sealer from your hardware store (if you have caulk-like substances around the house, you might be able to use those) will fill the cracks and trap the water like the gutter was originally meant to. Be sure to check the overlapping on these old gutters, as they are sometimes less efficient than modern ones and may need to be sealed themselves.
Small holes and leaks aren't the only ways you can salvage an old gutter - even the big gaping cracks can be fixed if you have the right materials. If you have two old gutters, for example, you can use the metal of one of them to replace the metal of the other; if you use some roof cement you should be able to press one piece of metal to the other, sealing it off and making the old gutter like new. It might not be the prettiest gutter in the world, but you don't exactly have to put it out front for everyone to see.
Remember that gutters are rarely used for decoration: their primary function is simply to move water in a way that keeps the house dry and interacts with the natural environment. When you come across an old gutter that you think might have some life in it, don't necessarily toss it away instantly. Instead, ask yourself more practical questions, like what you can do with the metal, whether you can salvage the gutter, and where it might belong if it can be salvaged. It's up to you to make the most of your possessions. Will you?
Photo Credits: Mitia dd
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Posted by Fix Handyman on August 13, 2009 in
Handyman, How to Fix, gutters
You don't have to drain the pool to fix the leak.
Swimming pools can be like an oasis against the heat in the summer, but even an oasis needs to be maintained. Owning a swimming pool means understanding pool maintenance and cleaning - or at least employing someone else who does. And sometimes, even when you try to maintain the best pool possible, you'll run into unexpected problems, such as a torn pool liner.
Many backyard pools have a vinyl liner - they are usually inexpensive compared to more costly fiberglass or gunite options - and while this liner is generally sturdy, it does have the ability to break. Since they're inexpensive, it will cost less than repairing a different pool liner, but that doesn't mean you can skip out on fixing the tear.
Some pool owners will be ready to drain a pool at the first sign of trouble, but if you know what you're doing, you should be able to avoid this costly experience. Draining a pool will also lead to lost summer days if you don't know what you're doing, so make sure you explore your options to fix a torn pool liner before you have the pool drained.
Once you've decided to fix the pool liner itself, you'll have to find the leak. This is often the most difficult part about fixing a vinyl pool liner, since finding a leak in a pool can feel like finding a needle in a haystack. But if you are careful to track the leak, you should be able to find its source.
Once you've found where the leak is coming from, you'll probably have two options: a dry or a wet patch. You can find pool patching, but you'll have to be wary of the size of the leak. Make sure you inspect the area thoroughly before you make a purchase - you need to know how big the leak is so that you can purchase a patch that's even bigger. Vinyl liner repair kits are also available, so make sure you explore that option as well.
After purchasing the patch, you should be able to apply it, and then make sure that you observe the pool to check for more leaks. If the leak seems to have stopped, the pool should be repaired and ready for swimming again. Make sure you keep the leak in mind if you consider future maintenance and upgrades on your pool.
Photo Credits: Kikos Dad
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Posted by Fix Handyman on August 7, 2009 in
Handyman, How to Fix, Pool
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