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.

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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.

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Home Decorating - DIY Garden Style Bathroom

You should think about remodeling your bathroom so it resembles a garden theme if you want to create a more peaceful type of oasis. The neglected space in your bathroom can be filled with a theme. In this article, we will focus specifically on garden style themes.

Depending on the severity of your bathroom remodeling, the project could take only a few hours, or up to a few days. Some individuals choose to remodel the entire bathroom, appliances and all; while others prefer to only accessorize. Keep in mind that accessories go a long way and can really boost your room's atmosphere.

A bathroom with a garden theme requires several specific colors. Since the theme revolves around flowers, appropriate choices include green, red, yellow, and pink. The decorating process includes many simple options. You can either start by choosing your base color and then purchasing corresponding accessories or the exact opposite. Any way is perfectly fine. When choosing a color, keep in mind that you want the theme to resemble a relaxed environment. Simple borders are an inexpensive, yet great way to do this.

After the walls are painted the color you desire, you can then add some accessories. There are many design options since garden themes are very popular. You can get bath ensembles inexpensively which include a soap dish, tissue holder, and lotion holder. You can also purchase garden theme accessories in solid colors.

Some other choices include a shower curtain, waste basket, towel set, and wall decorations. Bath sets are very convenient and can skyrocket the results of the colors in the room. They also harmonize the bathroom. Also remember to place a plant either somewhere on the vanity or alongside the tub. Photographs and scented candles are also creative touches. If you don't like these ideas, at least fill the spaces with images of outdoor plants, butterflies, or even - you guessed it, a garden.

Public Designs: Home Decorating

Building Codes - Stairway Construction

The stair building code was created for building safety. Before the building code and local city enforcement (Building Inspectors), anyone could build a house. This meant Uncle Earl who had just watched a couple of his friends build a house down the street construct some sort of a dwelling. The next step for Earl would be to help these guys for a day and now he is a professional home builder. You get the point.

Stair Building Codes create the safety needed for one of the most hazardous areas of your home. You might know someone who has fallen down a stairway?

I lived in a house I built for 15 years and I redesigned the stairs from a winder design to a T shaped set of stairs. Both sets of stairs were built using the local stair building code for my city.

Wow I could not believe how many times my family members fell down the stairs. I even fell down once. I was amazed. When I switched from the winder to the T shaped stairway there were less accidents. My point is that even using the stair building codes this is a dangerous part of your house.

Having a professional stair builder install your stairs is great advice. Take it. For example this happened to me on quite a few jobs. I get a set of plans from a architect who has been designing houses for over 40 years. I looked at the stairway to find out that he has designed a stairway that is too small for the length of this part of the home. If I build the stairs using the plans that by the way were approved from the local building department, I could have a problem.

You are probably asking yourself how does this happen. Aren't these people experienced professionals. Of course they are. They probably have the U.B.C. (Uniform Building Code) in their office somewhere. Everyone makes mistakes here and there but this is one area of the home where safety is a big concern.

Just look at it like this. The stair building code was designed to improve the safety and reduce the number of accidents while using the stairs. Over the years I have seen stairs poorly designed and constructed. These stairs create problems for the owners of the buildings not just the people that use them. Did I mention lawsuits. This is one area where a lawyer will have a field day.

As a building professional I advise you to use the stair building code first for safety and second to avoid lawsuits. Get an idea from some of the pictures I have taken over the years on problems with stair building.

Use common sense while building or remodeling your home. It goes a long way.

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 is currently working on more building stairs books and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry. Stair Building Articles

How to Buy Bathroom Sinks

Most bathrooms consist of a shower and bath. But they are in no way complete without a sink. It is one of the most important components where the majority of the shaving, tooth brushing and fixing of appearances take place. This is why it is so important to find a bathroom sink that not only suits your bathroom and house, but one that you can stare at several minutes everyday just before you go to work and go to bed.

There is a wide range of sinks that you can buy that will suit any bathroom. The most traditional sinks are constructed from porcelain and are round, oval or square. Porcelain is the most popular material because it is smooth, strong and waterproof. If you want a personalized sink then it is possible to have custom-made sinks made to your color and liking. This is a more expensive option than buying off the floor.

The more modern bathroom sinks can be made from glass or metal. Glass sinks can be made with a colorful and unique look. Metal sinks can be constructed from brass, chrome, copper or stainless steel. While these are more expensive than porcelain sinks they can look fantastic in more modern bathrooms.

Vanity mounted sinks are a popular choice. They have an advantage over other sinks as they can save space and also hide from sight the plumbing for the sink itself.

Choosing a bathroom sink doesn't need to be a challenge. Browse through the many designs that can be found at your local bathroom showroom and ask for advice. In no time you should be able to have bought a bathroom sink that suits your taste and style.

The Bathroom Vanity Guide can give you more information on choosing and buying a bathroom sink that suits your home and personal taste.

Nailing Or Screwing Drywall

Nails versus screws who will become the winner. When drywall first came out the installers used everything from regular steel nails to galvanized roofing nails. After a short amount of time they started to develop major problems from nails popping out of the finished drywall.

Nail popping results when the nail is driven into moist lumber and as the lumber shrinks the house settles and nail can actually pop out to the walls. Hard to imagine the nail could actually pop out of the drywall as the wood was drying out.

How far the nail would actually pop out was determined by how far it was driven in to the framing studs or ceiling joists. Well pretty soon drywall installers started to use ring shank nails to eliminate this problem. This worked great but these nails were hard to drive in and would often break.

As time went on the nails improved and were made out of galvanized metal with cupped shaped heads and came in a few different sizes. The size of the nail used was determined by the thickness of the drywall. These new nails worked great and had good holding power and eliminated a lot of nail popping.

Using nails means driving them in with a hammer. If you miss the nail you damage the drywall. This seemed to be a big problem and was virtually eliminated with the screws.

Well pretty soon people started using screws which had greater holding power and pretty much nail popping. Another advantage to using screws over nails is the simple fact you need less screws than you do nails to attach the drywall to the metal or wood framing.

This means less labor installing and finishing the drywall.

There is one problem with the screws and that is they have to be set perfectly. They can not break the paper surface on the drywall but have to be set enough into the drywall so that it can be finished properly. Most screw guns have an adjustable setting used to get just the right depth for the screws installed in the drywall. But this also was a problem when screwing into a hard piece of wood you can actually snapped the screw head off, strip the screw head or break the screw.

Nails on the other hand can bend while driving them into a hard surface.

Who wins the nails versus screws while installing drywall? I have got to give it to the screws. That doesn't mean the nails just got screwed or the screws just got nailed.

I couldn't resist. I actually preferred the screws over the nails except for when nailing the drywall corner bead on. Some drywall professionals use nails to hang the drywall and go back with a screw gun and some screws to finish the job. The nails sometimes seem handier than the screws when installing the drywall.

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 is currently working on more Building and Remodeling Library and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Visit us and get more information on building and remodeling your homes and Carlsbad Home Improvement

Making Your Bathroom Part of Your Home

In the home, a "bathroom" literally means a room where you take a bath. In our country, a room must have four fixtures to be considered a full bathroom. These fixtures include a toilet, sink, shower, and a bathtub. A half bathroom, or a powder room, only needs to contain a sink and toilet, while a bathroom needs to include a toilet, sink, and shower. When you decide to change your bathroom, you will want to take these things in consideration, simply because it can make a difference in the value of your home. Whether you choose to do it yourself or hire a professional, you will want to carefully plan out your bathroom renovations and each activity, so that it meets your wants and needs.

Remodeling a bathroom in your home may include installing a new fixture or just updating the fixtures. Whether you choose to renovate the entire room or upgrade the colors and accessories, you will find that it can make a big difference in the look and feel of your bathroom. The bathroom is an often used room in the home, so it needs to be relaxing and welcoming.

Normally, when you remodel the bathroom in your home, you will want to install something new into the room. Some of the common plans for the bathroom include adding a new shower door, vanity, light fixture, and other fixtures. You can find step by step instructions to install anything that you can imagine in your bathroom to make it more efficient and functional on the internet. Most of these sites can also point you to other websites or stores that will offer you the pieces that you need to make your bathroom into that relaxing and welcoming space.

You may find that routine maintenance is an activity that you should consider in your bathroom renovations. This may include installing a new faucet, fixing your existing flooring, or changing your shower curtain or showerhead. Most of these things take very little time and money and they can help make your bathroom work better. Upgrading these fixtures can give your bathroom a new look and feel that you will enjoy and that will make your bathroom more inviting and welcoming.

Another improvement that you may want to make to your bathroom is making it safer and easier to use for the older or infirmed family members. You can make it safer and more functional for these family members by adding a toilet that has a higher seat, adding texture to your bathtub floor, installing safety bars to your bathtub, and/or changing the faucet handles. All bathrooms should have a ground fault circuit interrupter to make sure that the power will automatically be shut off in the case of short circuits. This is essential in a bathroom, due to the moisture.

It does not matter why you want to improve your bathroom. By making plans, you will find that you can make your bathroom into that special place that you will enjoy and love.

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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.

Click here if you are looking for some more Bathroom Remodeling Ideas

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.

Click Here If your looking for some great Bathroom Ideas or Bathroom Remodeling Contractors

All About Bathroom Renovation Importance

The concept of home renovation in itself boosts energy within ourselves and as we move ahead with our renovation planning and as such bathroom planning has become a planning where there is loads of planning and a great deal of thought involved in it. The different aspect for which the planning has to be carried on is the layout, decoration and the other safety concerns. This article provides you with an overview as to how to develop an ideal bathroom that can set your bathroom apart from the rest of the bathrooms built.

As a known fact bathroom is an area of personal importance, and it enables us to maintain personal hygiene and it is a place which is a personal space and it is designed for facilitating the function of comfort and a peaceful retreat. As a known fact bathrooms have been designed to meet the different functions and often the different functions depend on the space availability and the layout of the house. It is considered an area which needs extremely deep and careful planning so that the function for which it has been designed is facilitated.

It is worth considering installing a new bathroom when the family is large and this would be an intelligent move because the washing area and separate shower cubicles and on the other hand those of you are not blessed with much space in their home can just go with the idea of incorporating a small wash basin and a bathing area in a spare room wear and tear of the existing bathroom would be reduced and this will also put an end to the morning queues. For people those who have enough space in their house they can have the privilege of a separate and this would just simply facilitate the function of a bathroom.

For any bathroom it is very important to build an efficient bathing area which coordinates with the rest of the room. You can also consider an option of installing sunken baths but its installation is an expensive factor, however they prove to be very attractive models. Incase you do not have enough space then you can probably go in for a corner bath, which can give you the benefit of saving space.

It is very important to understand that the type of the bathroom which we have selected determines the overall look and feel of the house; some bathrooms styles help us top save money like if the bathroom is efficiently designed then the bath area may require less water to fill the area and thus this will help to reduce the monthly water bill.

It is important to understand that the once the equipments have been installed in the restroom it is difficult to move these. So you must be careful that there should not arise any revision in the installation of the restroom equipments once they have been fixed. So always be aware and be very careful in the planning of a bathroom renovation because it is an area of great importance.

Mejo John is an expert author, who is presently working on the site Houston remodeling. He has written many articles on houston home remodeling. For more information visit Kitchen remodeling houston. Contact him at allphaserenovation@gmail.com

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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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.

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What Are Dry Wells?

A dry well is an underground storage facility for the disposal of unwanted water accumulated due to storms. Storm water is running off from roofs. It drives away this water in to the ground where it mixes with local ground water. This temporarily stored water released from it via penetration into the surrounding soils. It can be a structural chamber or hollow cavity filled with aggregate. It is specially designed for disposal of roof runoff water that does not carry any solid particles. Due to this reason it does not use for floating solid waste.

Important Features of Dry Wells
It is a kind of simple structure consists of hollow well stuffed with gravel, riprap, rubble and other debris. Such kind of wells is resistant to crumple but have limited storage capacity because of their storage area mostly occupied by stones.

Advance Dry Wells
Concrete cylinders with perforated sides and bottoms are constructed in order to provide resistance against collapse. This in turns increases the storage capacity of well. They are completely buried and do not occupy land area. Concrete cylinder makes it tougher.

How does it Work?
It is a passive structure. It receives water under influence of gravity. You don't need to spend energy to direct the flow of water in well. Number of entry pipes or channels is ranges between one and more than one. Number of small exit openings is present on the large surface area of sides and bottom. These openings are used to release to stored water. It receives water very quickly when ground water pressure is equal to atmospheric pressure. After this stage rate of receiving water depends on the rate of water discharge from well. Due to this wells with huge capacity are designed that can store large volumes of water in accelerated way and then dispose it off on gradual basis. Connection between inflow and outflow is always maintained to resist collapse and clogs.

Limitations in Constructing Dry Wells
Size and location of well is dependent on permeability of soils and slopes.
Size of the well is also matters to program its maintenance. Larger wells need less maintenance.
Flatter areas have suitable slope pattern for its construction. Rooftop gutter screens are used to stop leaves and other debris from entering in system.

Parameters of Designing Dry Wells
Storage volume and permeability rate of sub grade soil are considered as important parameters of design. Storage volume must be adequate enough to carry runoff water without overflow. On the other hand good permeability capacity of sub grade soil means that it can able to dispose of stored runoff water within 72 hours.

Conclusion
Dry well is very important structure in any building. Its basic purpose is to reduce the volume of storm water runoff from roofs of building. Covered wells that are used to dispose sewage water is called Cesspool on the other hand open wells that dispose storm water in ground is called Recharge Basin or Infiltration Basin.

If you want to know more about shower remodeling you can visit this site http://www.theyarelocal.com/articles/remodeling/bathroom_remodeling/shower_remodeling.php It will give you useful information about shower remodeling.

Tithing Education - Giving From Guilt

If you're part of any organized religion and donate money on a regular basis, do you know where your money is going? Have you ever asked what they are spending the money on? Are you one of those people who feels that your pastor and church leaders know best and never even ask them, because you might feel inferior to them? Have you asked in the past and were told not to worry about it but still would like to know.

Before you give your hard earned money away, whether you're doing it out of guilt or pleasure, make sure you're supporting the right organization. You should never feel the need to donate money if you don't have it to give.

I went to a church that had funds for everything, building funds, starvation funds, church funds and even funds to fund of funds if they ran out of money. Okay I just threw that last part in their but all kidding aside, there's plenty of stuff to be done in our country, to help the starving, the poor and the needy. Why do we need to go to other countries?

I want to make a suggestion to people who can't afford to give their money away but feel guilty if they don't. In the Bible it tells you to give away 10% of your earnings to the church. The part that it doesn't tell you is what to do if you can't afford to give 10% to the church. I personally have known quite a few people who give money out of guilt and fear but will tell you that this is a requirement of their religion and its okay. God will take care of us and he always does.

I don't really believe God, the all powerful all-knowing and loving creator, wants us to suffer, if we just don't make enough money to survive. If you're planning on sending your child to a Christian private school and could only afford to send them to that school, using the money that you were going to tithe to the church, what will you do? Tithe the money to the church so that they can use it to feed hungry people in other countries or build a new church somewhere or help with your child's education.

Some of these decisions are made difficult by religious doctrine and these are the parts of organized religion that I have problems with. When do we use common sense, combined with a little education to seek the truth. Does your religion ask you to seek the truth but not to gather your information beyond their religious boundaries?

Only give what you can afford to give and feel good about it. If you don't feel good about giving your money away, don't do it. Take care of yourself, so that you can take care of others, if you choose to. Living a life of fear and guilt doesn't make sense.

Question Your Religion

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 Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development.

Greg is currently working on a religious help library filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.

Plumbing Problems and Solutions - Repair Manuals

If you've owned a home for over 20 years, there's a very good chance, that you've had a water pipe break, a drainpipe clogged, a toilet that wouldn't flush right, or a water leak that damaged part of the home. If you don't know, what you're looking for and you have no idea what damage can be done, over time, this could mean trouble for the homeowner.

Plumbing problems like these have been around and will be around for many years. Knowing what to do about them, how to repair them and what materials will be needed, can be found in plumbing repair manuals for books. How would you like to have a professional plumber to advise you on your plumbing repairs. What if I told you that you could have a plumbing professional on hand at all times. Is this something that you might be interested in.

Well I can't guarantee that, so let's forget about what I just said and go to the next best thing. Plumbing repair manuals are full of tips and advice that when needed can sometimes be priceless. If water is leaking from the ceiling in your home and you have no idea, where the water is coming from or how to stop it from leaking, any information could be priceless and I mean priceless.

Plumbers, usually charge over $100 an hour for emergency service. I've seen plumbers come to peoples homes, turn the water off to the house, stop the water from leaking and now it is no longer an emergency. The plumber quickly pulls out an invoice for the plumbing repairs and it could be over $1000, if you decide that this is ridiculous and choose not to pay it, the plumber can hand you a bill for stopping the water leak. Some of these bills are what I would consider quite ridiculous, for just shutting the water off.

You're not paying the plumber for the amount of time it took him, you're paying him for his knowledge. If you knew where to shut the water off, you wouldn't have an emergency situation and could contact a plumber during normal hours. This could save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars.

With a simple home repair manual or a home plumbing book, you could prepare yourself for a situation like this and other plumbing problems. Most home repair manuals have general solutions and advice and can solve most of the problems around your home. If they can't solve all of the problems, they can probably save you from major catastrophes like a water leak.

Most of the time it's not the water leak that will cost the most money, it's the damage the water will do to your furniture, carpeting, wood flooring, walls or ceilings. A little information and preparation can save you a lot of money in the long run.

Home Plumbing Books

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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.

Rocking the Foundation of Christianity

Whatever you build a house, you start with the foundation, if you're writing a book, it might be an outline for the table of contacts, but when were talking about Christianity, rarely do any Christians ever research the origins or how Christianity began.

Most Christians assume that Jesus was the one who started Christianity, however, he was Jewish and there is a good chance that he never even thought about starting a new religion. I know, Jesus is God and he knows everything and he knew that he was going to start Christianity. Okay, but what if.

That might not be entirely true. We don't have any proof that Jesus was actually a superior god like being. We can speculate or assume all that we want to, however there is very little evidence to support, that Jesus did anything that the writers of the New Testament, suggested he had done.

I would like to challenge most Christians, to do a little research and quite possibly start rocking the foundation of Christianity. It's much more important to understand Christianity than to call yourself a Christian. Will a little bit of research help or hurt you, as you study Christianity.

You can start by looking at the origins of the Bible, the Council of Nicaea, the Emperor Constantine, the missing years of Jesus in the early Roman Catholic Church.

To understand anything, you must understand its origins. Take some time out of your busy life, to start studying the foundation of Christianity.

Do Christians Believe Everything
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 Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development.

Greg is currently working on a Christian Article Library filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.
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Bathroom Remodeling Costs and Concepts - Carlsbad Home Repairs

The economic crises, busy career driven lives and environmental impacts around us usually prevent us from tending to our own personal home needs. As the rising costs of products everywhere, clashing with our busy schedules, taking time off to redecorate much more remodel our own homes, especially the bathroom, might be a little bit more taxing. But still, the bathroom should be given attention it deserves as using it is a very essential part of our lives. One should give bathroom remodeling costs a thought and consider it a pleasant task to beautify your home.

Budget is the most important factor for bathroom remodeling costs. One should have a specific budget on how much you want to achieve. It depends on whether you want a small-scale or large-scale remodeling of your bathroom. Thus, mapping out the clear concept of the design should be made in order to determine the kind of budget you have to save.

When you have a clear idea of what you want your bathroom to be like, canvassing materials should be the next task. These materials and fixtures is the determinative element whether to cut-off or expand your budget for the bathroom remodeling costs. If you must, research first about the materials, its durability, prices, warranties and its performance. Additional information about its power or energy saving qualities to help cut cost of your bill and help in saving the environment will be a great advantage.

Also, considering the safety of your bathroom, electric wires and plumbing connections must be checked as part of bathroom remodeling costs. These connections must be double-checked to ensure maximum safety and convenience for all. It still depends if your bathroom is few years old or older than your grandmother. Then, it should be made sure that it shall meet the standard requirements for safety measures.

But as remodeling is not really limited to the confines within your bathroom, additional plans should be made whether extensions are going to be constructed in your bedroom, hallway or kitchen, depending where the proposed bathroom is located. So adjustments will be made to accommodate your plans and might actually balloon your bathroom remodeling costs. So it is good to really plan ahead for at least a period of time.

Thus, as this is not a simple task, services of contractors and designers will be needed. Give the complete details of what your concept should be so they can give you a correct and accurate amount of your bathroom remodeling costs. They can give you quotations about the prices, mark-downs, and other costs you need to know. Don't stick to one opinion, though. Compare their opinion with other contractors or designers or architects which will provide you with other options and perspectives to help you achieve the kind of bathroom you truly want and feel.

For more information on bathroom remodeling costs and bathroom lighting fixtures visit http://www.lightingbathroomfixtures.com for helpful insight.

Good Christians Really Do Inspire Me

One of the best Christians who I ever met, truly inspired me and everyone around him to become a better person. His son is now working at a church and his daughter is a teacher and they're not the only people who he inspired.

He inspired me to write this article, good Christians really do inspire me and others and he definitely was living his life, like Jesus did. He's the only person that I ever met, who didn't have anything bad to say about anyone, with the exception of one time. I actually heard him say that he hates that person, the person probably deserved it, but I still couldn't believe that the word came out of his mouth.

We all make mistakes, even he did, every once in a while. Whenever someone asked him about Christianity, he would try to avoid sharing his beliefs with them, unless they were persistent and then he would share all that he knew.

He never tried to convert anyone and never forced his opinions on anyone else. I asked him once," Did he actually read all of those books that he had in his library." He said that he actually did and I was shocked. He had three large library shelves that were each 4 foot wide and went almost all the way up to the ceiling, filled with books on Christianity and some on other religions.

He's the only man I ever met, that I would actually consider to be a good Christian. I don't know what it was about him, his honesty, compassion or simple kindness, but I valued his friendships and kept my ears open and my mouth shut... most of the time.

If you know someone like this in your life, I would advise you to take full advantage of their wisdom and let them inspire you to become a better Christian and if you don't believe in Christianity, these people can inspire you to become better person. A great life can be acquired, learning the wisdom from people who lead great lives.

Unbelievable Christian Bible Study Book

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Do you really know why you're a Christian, click on this way to get more information about Becoming Really Good Christians

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author and a inspiration to millions of people. He has been involved in religious research for almost 30 years, and his influence in the Christian community is growing. The Holy Bible, is the core to Christian beliefs and most Christians don't even question it. Was the Bible actually written by men?

His newest book," Did God Actually Say That?" Was written specifically for Christians who are interested in gaining additional knowledge about the Bible. This book provides Christians with advanced biblical knowledge, answer some tough questions and should be read by every faithful follower of Christ.

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Safe Stair Construction - Stair Building Tips

As a general rule of thumb in stair building the sum of the tread and riser should equal around 17 1/2 inches. This is a general rule of thumb for a comfortable, easy to walk up and down set of stairs.

For example if your stair tread is 10 inches and the stair riser is 7 1/2 inches you have a comfortable stairway. Walking up and down a stairway using this formula creates a comfortable set of stairs. The next time you walk down any uncomfortable set of stairs measure the stair tread and riser. You will be amazed at what you'll find.

For public stairs or heavily used stairs this method will become one of your best friends. On public stairs you have liability issues and of course lawyer issues if you are the owner of the building. If you are not building a safe set of stairs that meets your local building codes standards you could be in for a whopping financial nightmare.

Building safe stairs as a contractor is your obligation to society. I don't know how many times I come across a loose stair tread or a broken hand rail. One of the biggest problems I find is in the poorer neighborhoods you come across some major construction problems and safety hazards. I never have been able to figure out why a building owner would not want to protect himself financially and the people that occupy and use his buildings safety.

Here's something you need to avoid when using the stair building general rule of thumb. This rule of thumb does not apply to good to an 8 inch tread with a 9 1/2 inch stair rise. You don't want to be building a latter you want to be building a safe set up stairs.

The maximum stair rise you can use for most building codes is 8 inches. You will not find the stairway to comfortable with a 9 1/2 inch stair tread and an 8 inch riser. If you have no choice and are cramped for space and you can't redesign this stairway to fit in the house or building then at least make sure you have a nice sturdy grip able stair hand rail.

This formula works great when you are working with exterior landscaping and you have a long run of stairs with a small rise. For example: if you have a 14 inch stair tread and you use a 4 inch riser this will lead to a comfortable step.

Look for stairs in your neighborhood or around some apartment complexes that don't follow these rules and have 16 inch stair treads with 7 inch risers. You will find yourself taking two steps on the stair tread on every other step and it is not a real comfortable stairway.

Happy stair building and keep this formula in mind for a nice comfortable set of stairs in your building future.

Greg Vanden Berge 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 is currently working on more building stairs books and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Click here if you're looking for additional Homeowner Contractor Advice. If you're interested in gathering more information on how to hire a good contractor, make sure that you visit our website.

Take Pictures of Your Growing Foundation Damage Or Cracks

I champion people and try to get them to look at their house, at least once a year. One of the easiest ways to inspect your home is to use a home inspection checklist and if you really want a good home inspection checklist, there's a good chance that you are going to need to purchase one. You get what you pay for and don't ever forget that.

Foundation repairs usually start with a small crack and that's no joke. If you notice a crack, take a picture of it and save it somewhere. If you think, that the crack is actually getting a little bigger or starting to separate, you can simply take another picture and compare the two photos.

I would like to give you an example of what I'm talking about. Sometimes we look at something and we think that it's getting larger, but we don't have anything to compare it to. As time goes on, we think that the crack is still getting larger, but our mind is creating an optical illusion. This happens to a lot of people.

If you had a picture, from a few years ago, you could refresh your memory and this could be very helpful in reducing your anxiety or jumping to conclusions about foundation damage. Trust me, sometimes, I'm like a medical emergency crew, going to visit a homeowner to relieve their foundations stress. People panic over foundation cracks and I'm the doctor they call for any one of their home emergencies.

I would also advise you to take pictures of the rest of your home. How hard would it be to take about 300 pictures of your home each year and store them on your computer or on a disk, for easy access later? A picture is worth a thousand words and don't ever forget that.

Click Here for Some More Great Foundation Repair Solutions.

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.

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

Do I Need a Home Inspection? - Real Estate Advice

Most home inspections today run between $300 to over $1000 and sometimes you don't really get your moneys worth. There are home inspection companies that guarantee, any problems that they miss will be repaired at their expense over a desired period of time, usually a year. It seems like, most home inspection companies are just inspecting the property and have no guarantees or liability from their inspection.

It's not a good idea to buy or sell a home without getting a home inspection from a licensed home inspector. This is like having a second opinion from someone who is usually skilled in the process. I would like to point something out to unsuspecting, potential home buyers and sellers. Sometimes a home inspection company will get a little behind in their work and need to hire other home inspectors if these home inspectors don't have any experience in the construction business or have never inspected a home before. In other words there fresh out of home inspector school. You might not get a good home inspection.

You can always ask the question, how long have you been in business?... How long have you been a home inspector?... have you ever worked in the construction business or have any skills in home building and remodeling. If the answers to these questions are satisfactory, it doesn't mean, that they're telling the truth and being sincere and could lead to problems later if they are lying to you.

Let me rephrase the question now, "Do I Need a Home Inspection" from an unqualified home inspector? Absolutely not. But how can you really tell the difference and is the report going to be worth the money that you paid for it.

What would you say, if I had the solution to your problem. How about a pre-home inspection, using a home buyers checklist? What if I could give you a check list with questions, that you could ask your home inspector? Some of these questions are not going to be part a regular inspection but should always be asked and make sure you get the answers to them, before purchasing the property.

Would you be interested now? What if I told you, for under $20, you could purchase a home buyers checklist, now for the tough question, this checklist could save you thousands of dollars and prevent you from purchasing a home with major construction problems or defects, and can be used on every house you look at.

Don't buy a home without purchasing a professional home inspection checklist. These lists of questions can save you some serious headaches and stress in the future.

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.

If your looking for some more home inspection or home building ideas.

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.

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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.

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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.

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.

Check out These Amazing Home Damage Videos.

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.

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

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

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.

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What If My Contractor Does Not Return My Call

This is one of the biggest problems in business today. You have some work done on your home in good faith that the contractor knows what he is doing. When all is said and done you have a problem that needs to be resolved as soon as possible. I really don't care how long it has been since the work was done. If you have a problem the least that your contractor can do is answer the telephone.

Some companies go out of business and others get to busy to respond to your problem. You will hear the old excuse "That's not my problem" or the ever popular " I didn't do that". I have been in business for over twenty years and had very few problems. Of course I built things to last as long as possible.

Keep in mind that some contractors are a one man operation and they might be on vacation. Some contractors do not answer their phones over the week ends or after business hours. So don't sink the ship to fast.

Do not call the Contractors Licensing Board or the Better Business Bureau unless it has been at least a few working days. I would give it at least a week or so. Oh yeah don't assume that the contractor got your message. Call a few times at the least.

It has always made me mad when I have to fix someone else's problems. I get the call when the other contractors won't respond. I listen to the home owner with regret for being in a business where I am considered a crook. This is one of the reasons why contractors in my business get out of it.

If you have the contractors address and they aren't responding by phone you can always send them a letter by certified mail. Request a return receipt. That's your proof that the company received your letter. Keep a copy for your files.

The good news for a home owner when a contractor will not respond to your calling them is the Department of Consumer Affairs. Most states have a complaint department of some sort that will listen to your complaints. Does this mean it will get resolved? NO there are no guarantees here.

If your state has a licensing board for contractors, this will be your next step.

This will get your contractors attention and there is a great chance they will respond now. If there are enough complaints against the contractor and they do nothing about them the contractors board will take their license away.

If your contractor does not respond after all of this. There is very little you can do about it. Hire someone to fix the problem and look at it as a very important lesson learned.

If your state doesn't have a contractors licensing board contact the Better Business Bureau or your local government for their recommendation. Ask some of your friends if they have had any problems like this and how they handled them.

For some more tips about hiring contractors go to
http://gregvan.com/library/homeowner_checklists.htm

Greg Vandenberge has been in the home building and remodeling business for over 30 years. With this knowledge he has created a few websites that provide useful information for home owners as well as contractors. His main goal is to educate professionals in the home related businesses, dealing with problems that can easily be avoided with just a little bit of information.

His website http://gregvan.com provides all kinds of answers to remodeling and new house building issues that could create major damage as well as possible damage to your pocket book.

Three Simple Steps to Beginning Inner Calm

As one of todays professional women, you face ever-increasing demands on your time. This demand creates stress and fatigue. It not only wears you out and makes you feel badly, but also ages you faster than you might like. Fortunately there are some strategies you can employ to regain the balance that you desperately need to support your complete well-being.

So what can you do? All three of the following strategies have been proven successful and, in combination, are incredibly powerful catalysts towards finding a perfect balance between work, home, and other demands.

One: Create Silence Set aside small windows of time in your day to meditate or enjoy complete silence.

Two: Release Worry Find strategies and tools to release those things that are creating stress.

Three: Build Support Create a support network of people who understand, who you support and who can be depended on when times get tough. Begin by supporting others and you will find that it comes back to you if you allow it.

Beginning your journey towards balance

The strategies listed above are best tackled in the order listed but are beneficial regardless of how many you accomplish or the order in which you try them.

The simple enjoyment of silence, or meditation, is a wonderful first step toward healing your mind. This practice will allow your mind to begin to build new networks of thought and new, stronger, more supportive perspectives. Just as its been proven that an athletes muscles need periods of rest to allow peak performance, our minds also need periods of complete silence (or rest), in order to allow optimal functioning.

Quieting the mind can be quite challenging for anyone who spends the vast majority of her time strategizing, thinking, planning and contemplating. Sometimes complete silence is overwhelming and the mind begins to race, so if you find that this happens, try a 5-minute guided meditation or listening to the sounds of nature (water is always good) as a first step in learning to rest your mind. Choose what feels best, and if you dont know where to begin, then guided meditation, which can be found on tape, CD or even downloaded on the web, can be the perfect solution.

The second phase of beginning a life of balance can be accomplished with a mind that is open to trying out new perspectives. There are lots of ways to make new choices about those things that create stress in our lives. Simple shifts in perspective can be accomplished by simply asking, Am I creating the stress? Might I be adding to the stress? Or can I choose to let this go and release the stress? If the answer to even one of these questions is maybe or yes, then the next step is to dig a bit deeper.

Knowledge is a powerful thing and when you realize that its not you, but rather your repeating patterns of thinking that are causing you additional stress, you are well on your way to finding new perspectives and solutions. I recommend reading books like Wayne Dyers, Theres a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem, while you work with a coach who specializes in empowering and forward movement. Or simply read and do some introspection to begin. Just knowing that you are larger than your worries and separate from them is a giant step towards knowing that you can overcome them.

The third phase has to do with building a network of supportive friends and colleagues. This isnt work or magic or even a chore, this is about giving and receiving. As people, we dont realize how much impact we have on the world around us. You may be a giver and yet argue that you never receive. Or you may be someone who receives but rarely gives. The universal force behind those times when giving and receiving dont match up is our resistance to one or the other. If you feel as though you always give, but never receive, I challenge you to look at all the times you turned down help that was offered. Begin accepting the helping hand and life will balance itself out.

I am a firm believer that we were placed here to help each other and I have found over the years, that when I need a special support person to show up in my life, that person always shows up. Begin to notice who shows up for you, and I bet you will find that a network is ready to form right before your very eyes. You simply need to be watching so that you dont miss it. We all need a little support sometime, and on a day that youve tried everything else and life still feels too demanding, a supportive friend will hold you up while you regain the strength to tackle it.

To immediately lessen the stress in your life:

meditate or enjoy silence just quiet your mind

release those things that are creating stress

build a support network (be a support partner for others and accept their help in return)

Youll find yourself in a better place almost immediately and you will soon start noticing the balance returning. Expect that life will show up perfectly balanced in the not too distant future, but dont forget to follow this plan for more than a few days. You may even want to keep it as a permanent part of your newly balanced life. It works!

Julie Fisher, complete well-being coach and owner of Sol Journe, LLC, as well as President of Advertising by Design, Inc. provides coaching and mentoring for professional women all over the world. Register for her free e-course and e-coaching at http://womenbalanceworkandhome.abundanceforwomen.com or visit http://www.abundanceforwomen.com for more information.

Contractor In Southern California

So you want to make big money making a living as a contractor in the state of California. Well now I bet you have seen contractors on TV or maybe you know someone who is a contractor. You see these men and women playing the part as Mr. or Mrs. Money bags. If you have the slightest thought that becoming a contractor will provide you with a life of riches think again.

Most contractors that I know and have worked with over the years don't think of there jobs as easy. They have to work everyday and a lot into the night doing estimates or meeting with potential clients because they are to busy during the day. The life of most contractors in the beginning will be difficult to say the least. But if successful you will make a great living for yourself and your family.

Now that we got the false illusion of the contractor answering his cell phone all day at some nice golf course having lunch talking about the money that he just made selling his oil stocks. We can start on reality. If being a contractor was that easy everyone would be a contractor. Right..... Well maybe not everyone.

I have been a contractor for over 22 years and in construction for 30 year. I have seen a lot of changes over the years. I remember when a few contractors that I worked for made a lot of money during the late 1970's. These guys had Ferraris and money to burn with one exception they had no idea how to save any of it. These guys went on vacations and bought extravagant toys for them selves. Out of most of the big framing contractors I worked for about 10 percent are still in business or actually saved their money during the good times so that they could make it through the bad times.

These contractors never thought it was going to end. Life on easy street that is. But it did and most went by the way side. I guess that is the nature of business. Especially the current economic business cycles that we seem to go through over the years. If you don't have the money to advertise or carry a payroll. Your business is going to suffer during the bad times. Sure there is credit and bank loans but you still have to pay that money back. IF you can't save your money stash some away for advertising.

Some of the best advice I can give a contractor anywhere especially in the state of California is " Don't Think The Great Times Of Easy Money Will Last Forever". Save some of the money you make just in case you need to get through the bad times. You will thank me for this latter, Some time down the road. Take this advice and put it into action starting right now.

Greg Vanden Berge has over 30 years of experience in residential home building and remodeling. This provides you with the comfort of knowing that you have a professional with the knowledge and skills to complete your construction projects in a timely manner.

Our low overhead along with our new online estimating system will provide you with the most competitive construction pricing in the area. We continue to educate ourselves about the new home improvement books and building systems in the construction industry. If we have any doubt that something might not work we don't use it. We have found some of these products to be the root of some major home building problems.

Click on the Home Remodeling Ideas to get more information and a possible online estimate for your home improvement project.

Window Header Framing Problems

Mentware - How to Develop a Money Making Mentality

Yes, you can work your own miracles. You can give your life a turn-around. Mentware is where all the money lies. Yes, all the money you need till you depart this world does not depend on the possession of hardware or the accumulation of all kinds of software. It lies on having the right mentware.

Hardware and software can't show you the money but mentware not only shows you the money but it also puts the money in your pocket. It says to you, "Man, you deserve more than this but just keep doing the right thing because you will soon get exactly what you deserve if you don't give up."

Hardware and software can take all your money away from you but mentware brings more and more money to you. Hardware and software can make your credit card, purse or wallet to be lean but mentware makes your credit card, purse or wallet to be fat.

Hardware and software can give you the spirit of selfishness and laziness but mentware gives you the spirit of service and decisive search for solutions to problems.

Great men and women of our times and history might have used hardware and software to showcase their missions and visions but it was mentware that actually brought success to them. Most of them did not even use hardware and software at all because such tools were not in existence when they were on this planet but they never achieved anything without mentware.

It was mentware that showed and brought Christopher Columbus to America. It was mentware in him that discovered America, a land flowing with milk and honey.

It was mentware that helped Martin Luther King Jnr. to see that time will come when all men and women of America will not be judged by the color of their skin. It is mentware that has made that tall dream to become a reality today and we can all say now, "Yes, we can!"

Raymond Edeh is an expert writer in a variety of topics. He writes high quality reviews for high demand products. Visit Raymond's site at http://www.flyarticles.com for your ghostwriting services.

Benefits of DIY Wireless Home Security

A DIY wireless home security system is the type of home security system that does not require wires and cables to work. This type of system offers a lot of benefits. All you need is time and a little elbow grease and you'll have 24-hour protection from burglaries, break-ins and vandalisms.

Benefits:

1. Saves you a lot of money

This can save you a lot of money because you will not need to hire a professional to perform the installation for you. Most of the time, some companies will jack up the prices of the equipment. So if you purchase your own materials, you can decide for yourself how much you will pay for them.

2. You will know how everything works

When you decide to get a DIY wireless home security system, you will install it yourself. Since you are doing the installation, you will get to know the system intimately. You will have to read the instructions before installation and that will help you figure out the ins and outs of the system.

3. Only you and your family know the design of the security system

Hiring a professional team to design and install the security system will render your system vulnerable to them. If you install the system yourself, only you and other residents in your household will know how the system is designed. This reduces the number of people who can disable the system.

4. Easy to install

The instructions of DIY security systems are relatively simple. And if you opt for the wireless version, this will make your job a whole lot easier. You don't have to deal with tangled wires and the problem of concealing them.

5. Safety for your home and all your family members

Wireless systems are more difficult to spot. So if you do end up with burglars, they will not be able to find the system so they can disable it. If motion sensors are visible, then they can figure out a way to work around them.

Discover more about wireless home security. Get free tips, advise and useful information on DIY wireless home security.

Simple Light Switch Replacement

Keeping Grandparents Involved Across the Miles

Many miles separate some grandparents and grandchildren. Having grandparents involved in a child's life is very important. Grandparents can teach children about their family history, spoil them, and love them unconditionally. After all, the more people who love a child the better.

With a little imagination and time, grandparents who don't live close by can still maintain a close relationship with their grandchildren. Here are some ways to keep in touch with those far away grandparents:

Send lots of photos, videos, drawings and craftwork so grandparents can keep up with milestones in their grandchildren's lives. With the technology today, it is even easier to email pictures. You can even use of a fax machine or scanner to send just-completed artwork to grandparents. Many grandparents are "hip" with Internet skills nowadays, but if there not send them the old-fashioned way.

Ask grandparents to tape-record or videotape themselves reading a bedtime story, singing a lullaby or telling a funny, well-loved family story. Children will love to listen to the story again and again.

Plan regular phone conversations, especially if you have very young children. Try and plan them for the same day and time each week so children have something to look forward to. Talk with your child ahead of time to give them some ideas of interesting things to tell their grandparents when the call arrives.

Grandparents can send a "goodie" package once a month with letters, inexpensive toys, photographs or anything that lets the grandchildren know they are loved. It gives the kids something to look forward to.

Suggest that grandparents work on a scrapbook or memory book, including stories they want to tell their grandchildren, pictures from their own childhoods and favorite family traditions.

Let your kids work on a scrapbook for their grandparents, perhaps as a holiday or birthday gift; this can include photos, artwork and even journal entries if the children are old enough.

Inform grandparents regularly about the activities, hobbies, likes and dislikes of their grandchildren; this will stimulate communication, as well as help them choose appropriate gifts.

At holiday times, ask grandparents to suggest special holiday traditions or provide recipes from their family or ethnic backgrounds. Even if they can't be there to share in the activity they suggest, it's one way to get children talking about their family history. Maybe even grandma could mail some of her home-baked goodies to the kids.

Invest in a web camera for your computer so children can see and talk to grandparents often. This is a great thing to have during birthday parties and holidays so grandparents can see first hand what is going on. It's the next best thing to them being there.

When grandparents visit make the most of that time. Invite grandparents to visit your child's school, maybe even have lunch with them if possible if the child is in school during the visit. Plan some special outings for the grandparents and grandchildren so they can spend time together.

Find helpful and creative ideas for parents and grandparents while you shop our great selection of kids furniture (including our popular toddler beds and cots) and classic toys. Visit http://www.TheMagicalRockingHorse.com today!

Log Cabin Vinyl Siding

This article talks in grat depths about the advantages of vinyl over normal wood. It talks about the fact that it looks just as good, but is cheap, has low maintenance and is eco-fiendly.If thought of building a log cabin siding but never took it seriously because of heavy work load and cost then you no longer have any excuses.

Making a log cabin from actual wood will not only prove to be very costly, but it will also have an adverse effect on the environment. Today the world has reached an advanced stage of deforestation. Therefore, we must do our bit to save the planet. Understandably, log wood houses have a very rustic look. With the advent of log cabin vinyl siding, this rustic look can be maintained while the installation and maintenance of the log cabin vinyl siding is cheap and it is artificially made out of vinyl (a chemical), therefore it is eco-friendly since it doesnt involve cutting down tree.

Advantage Log Cabin Vinyl Siding

Besides simply looking authentic, there are a lot benefits that come with log cabin vinyl siding. It also provides many saving opportunities, both fiscally and physically. Vinyl siding is practically maintenance free and does not require insect preventing, staining, and sealing as well as any type of refinishing.

Vinyl log siding is one of the best methods of weatherproofing your structure as it provides complete protection from all types of climates.

Vinyl log siding is 100% man-made but still retains the look of natural wood. Log cabin vinyl siding is certainly cheaper than using full-logs because it's mass-produced. AS it can be easily installed Cost of labor is cheaper.

Parkers Midwest Distributing at www.vinyllogsiding.com offers a wide variety of log cabin vinyl sidings. They come in many different shades, and look almost natural. Whats more is that it doesnt need much maintenance. There will be no holes caused by pests. There will be no termite infestations or beds of fungi on this artificial replica of the real world wood.

An Eco-Friendly Way of Siding

Resource Materials Corp at www.resourcematerialscorp.com offers yet another wide range of log cabin vinyl siding products. They specialize in heat treatment technologies. Once you install their log cabin vinyl siding, you will realize that the amount of heat dissipated into the atmosphere reduces in winter and increases in summer. In short, winters will be warm and summers will be cool

Sisson Log Homes at www.sissonloghomes.com

Sisson Log Homes is renowned for bringing excellently crafted log cabin vinyl sidings complete with the accompanying accessories and fitting should you choose.

In summary, log cabin vinyl sidings are cheaper than their wooden counterparts, are more resistant to moth attacks, are available in all shades, fit perfectly into one another, are eco friendly and require way less maintenance.

You can also find more info on harsh weather conditions and siding products. Homesidingreview.com is a comprehensive resource to know more about home siding review.

Bathroom Remodeling Problems

What Type of Appetizers Are There?

Appetizers are small biting of foods served before or in between a main course.

Usually making of any appetizer varies on the need of the occasion, the time you are wiling to devote. When deciding which appetizers to serve prior or between a meal. You should have your meal menu ready, so as to choose foods which blend well, but differ on flavour and taste.

There are many such different types of appetizers to choose from

Cold appetizers - these are made by combining different spreads onto crackers. Or by adding different vegetable stuffing's in pita's, breads etc. Almost instant to make and with a few hours of refrigeration, they are ready to be served.

Hot Appetizers - these warm tempting morsels are enjoyed by one and all. You can savour a large variety from lightly spiced vegetable kebabs, to cheesy tarts, steamed fritters and fried and creamy bites of potatoes etc.

Dips and Spreads - simple mixtures which can be made ahead of time and served both hot and cold. These can be eaten as a dipping sauce with a variety of raw vegetables like carrots, cucumbers or served surrounded with chips, pita, tortillas etc. Some interesting cold dips are salsa, guacamole, chutneys. Some hot ones are fondue, queso.

Serving Appetizers

When serving appetizers in a small informal gathering, one should begin with a mix of nibbles, dips and a few simple appetizers, offered with small plates, forks, and napkins to the guests. As it is easy for each one to help themselves because of the close seating arrangement.

Whereas, if you are organising a large event, than a combination of cold appetizers and some hot ones, preferably finger foods is best suited. Because in a big crowd people cannot always make their way easily to the buffet table. Therefore the food is usually passed around in trays. And secondly placing nibbles in bowls around the drinks corner or other different corners of the room, making it easy for the guests to move around freely and pop in whatever they wish. It is best to count about 5 appetizers per person.

Tempting Appetizer recipes at Simply Vegetarian Recipes.

Nasi Lemak, Roti Canai, Chicken Rice & Malaysian Food

Nasi Lemak
Rice cooked with coconut milk(cream) for traditional Malay dishes, is called Nasi Lemak.
Traditionally, it comes as a platter with cucumber slices, Ikan Bilis (small dried anchovies), roasted peanuts, hard boiled egg, and hot spicy sambal (traditional chili sauce), is the basic version. Nasi lemak can also come with any other accompaniments such as stir fried water kangkong (convolvulus), chicken, cuttlefish, cockle, beef curry and etc.
There are even Chinese version Nasi Lemak, which is usually non-halal, as sometimes pork is added. And also Vegetarian version Nasi Lemak, in which vegetarian ingredients replace the traditional ingredients.

Nasi Lemak is also considered National Dish of Malaysia, as the most widely eaten food in Malaysia. Not only for its inexpensiveness, but also because the basic version Nasi Lemak, which comes with only anchovies, hard boiled egg and sambal, is available everywhere and consumable by all ethnic groups.

Roti Canai
Is a type of flat-bread food widely consumed in Malaysia by all the ethnic groups, commonly sold in Mamak stalls (Tamil Muslim restaurants), Indian restaurants and Malay restaurants. For it's availability and popularity, it is claimed to be the second National Dish of Malaysia.
As the name implies, Roti canai is said to have been introduced by immigrant labor from Chennai, India (formerly known as Madras. However, the first instance of the use of the name Chennai is said to be in a sale deed dated August 1639 to Francis Day, an agent for the British where there is a reference to the place of the current Chennai) where a similar combination of parotta and dalcha - the accompanying lentil curry - is served.

Roti Canai is usually served with 'dhal' (lentil) curry, it can be taken with sugar or condensed milk.
There are numerous variations of Roti Canai to suite individual's taste, common variations include: Roti Telur, (with eggs), Roti Planta (stuffed with margarine and sugar), Roti Bawang (onion bread), Roti Sardin (stuffed with sardine), roti pisang (banana bread).
There are also a lot of different curries used besides dhal, such as Kari Ayam (chicken curry), Kari Daging (beef curry), Kari Kambing (mutton curry), Kari Ikan (fish curry), Kari Campur (mixed curry, mixture of dhals and curries can be selected)

Chicken Rice
Usually referred to Hainanese Chicken Rice, roots in Hainan Cuisine and it was introduced by Hainanese overseas Chinese. The most commonly served Chicken Rice is "White Chicken" and rice. Chicken Rice accompanied with Bean Sprouts is common especially in Ipon, a town in Perak Malaysia. Which contributes to a version called "Ipoh Chicken Rice". Whereas, "Roasted chicken" is another popular version of chicken rice widely consumed by Malaysian, as there is also Malay or Halal version Chicken Rice (Nasi Ayam), usually served with Roasted Chicken, and it is commonly available in Malay Restaurants or Stalls.

Nasi Lemak, Roti Canai, Chicken Rice are the three most consumed foods in Malaysian, for their convenient, fast, low prices and being accepted by most of the people. Making it the de facto traditional Malaysian Fast Food today.

Being a multicultural country, Malaysians have over the years adapted each other's dishes to suit the taste buds of their own culture. Malay version Chicken Rice is a good example of cross-culture influence, Malaysians of Chinese descent have adapted the Indian curry, and made it more dilute and less spicy to suit their taste. Chinese Fried Rice and Noodles have been crossed with Indian and Malay tastes and thus Malay fried rice, fried noodles and Indian fried rice, fried noodles were born.

On top of the most widely consumed Nasi Lemak, Roti Canai and Chicken Rice, which represent Malay, Indian and Chinese cuisine respectively. There are also Nyonya food, Thai food and others.

Nyonya food
It was invented by the Peranakan people of Malaysia. It uses mainly Chinese ingredients but blends them with South-East Asian spices such as coconut milk, lemon grass, turmeric, screwpine leaves, chillies and sambal. It can be considered as a blend of Chinese and Malay cooking.

Thai Food
It also features strongly in Malaysian cuisine, such as the most popular Tom Yam are widely available in various restaurants and stalls, especially in the northern region.

Other food
Such as those introduced by Filipinos (mostly in Sabah, a state in East Malaysian) and Indonesian migrants, also have their restaurants or stalls, catering to both their same ethnic group of clients and local clients. Being culturally close to Malaysia, a lot of Indonesian food have been accepted by Malaysians as a part of their daily dishes, like Satay (sate), Soto (food), Rendang (dry curry), Cendol (dessert) and others.

Tony Ng,

Contributor of Best Malaysian Food portal, at http://www.bestmalaysianfood.com/

Dream Home Checklist - Home Buying

First things first when looking for your dream home. Make a list of all the things you're looking for. With today's computers and search engines on the Internet it makes home shopping by keywords very simple.

Most real estate websites have boxes you can check off, if you're looking for a three-bedroom house with two bathrooms and a swimming pool. You simply check these items off, select the area you would like to search for homes and and you now have a list of homes to look at.

Some of these homes have virtual tours on the Internet, which allows you to go through most of the home before you actually visit the house. Modern technology has made searching for your dream home a virtual reality.

You can now look through the list and select the most appealing homes before you start driving around. Don't let the pictures of these homes deceive you on the Internet or MLS. Some of the descriptions of these homes can also be very deceptive.

When looking for your dream home, used every possible means available to you. This would include your real estate professionals, newspapers, magazines, search engines, internet websites, and don't forget about driving around your favorite neighborhoods. This is actually how we found one of the homes we bought.

Our real estate salesman gave us a list of homes to look at, while we were driving around, we spotted a home that caught our attention and we pulled in the driveway. To our amazement, the real estate saleswoman who listed the home lived a couple of houses down the street and was right there asking if we wanted to see the inside of the house.

Your family, friends, neighbors and people you work with, can also help you with your homebuying quest. You would be surprised at how helpful some of these people can be. I knew someone who found a home they really liked, knocked on the door and told the homeowners, they would be very interested if their home was ever put on the market. Within a few weeks, he was buying the home.

I'm not telling you to knock on everyone's door whose not selling their house, but you never know how or when you're going to run into the house of your dreams.

Greg Vanden Berge 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 shoping checklist to take some of the frustration out of home shopping

Don't buy a house without visiting, one of the best websites for home inspections. This website has thousands of pictures that deal with home inspection problems. If you're buying a house, check out this section on house inspection cover ups

Exterior Wood Beams