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- References are King – and a Must!
- How Painters Tape Can Save You $1000′s
- Vinyl Tub Surrounds – Expensive May Not Be Better!
- The Best Router – Period!
- Tint Your Plaster For Touch Ups on Primed Walls & Trim
- Do Not Use Pens, Felt Pens or Chalk Lines!
- Hard To Find Reproduction Antique Hardware
- WCB Coverage – It’s a Must…Sometimes Even as a Homeowner
- Cutting a Hole In The Ceiling? How To Keep Drywall Dust Contained!
- The Secret To Buying Name Brand Power Tools Dirt Cheap!
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Schluter®-DITRA Floor Membrane Video
If you watch Holmes on Homes on a regular basis you are sure to have seen the Ditra membrane being used more than once. Although it is expensive at about $200.00 for 50 sq. ft. and $400 to $450 for 170 sq. ft. (material cost only), it is the ultimate choice for use under ceramic tile, marble, granite or similar materials. It prevents grout and tile fracturing – a common problem in many homes.
Schluter-DITRA is an 1/8″ thick polyethylene mat with square, dovetailed recesses and an anchoring fleece laminated to the underside. In conjunction with tiled coverings, Schluter-DITRA forms an uncoupling, waterproofing, and vapor pressure equalization layer.
Schluter-DITRA-XL is the latest innovation in uncoupling membranes. DITRA-XL provides the same four essential functions as Schluter-DITRA (uncoupling, waterproofing, vapor management, and support/load distribution), but is 5/16″ (7 mm) thick, allowing for even transitions between ceramic tile and 3/4″ (19 mm) -thick hardwood flooring and ceramic tile application on single-layer wood subfloors (regular sheated plywood or OSB floor).
Keeping The Job Site Cleaned Up
Next to poor quality materials or workmanship, there is nothing more irritating and dangerous in construction than a messy job site…
How clean should a job site be? “Clean”, simple and sweet. There is no reason for any contractor to allow a site to become messy. It does not take to much extra effort to keep things tidy while you work – especially at the end of the day. No mess should ever be left when a contractor leaves the job site for the day. A messy and cluttered job site is dangerous to you, your family and friends, and anyone working on the site.
There should always be a garbage area, bin or trailer on site at all times where trades can dump garbage when they are done, especially at the end of the day. This ensures no tradesman has an excuse for not cleaning up. Even a temporary pile in the middle of a floor area is better than debris all over the floor.
I always have a cleanup clause in my contracts that requires every trade to keep their work area clean and all of their debris cleaned up and removed when they leave for the day or finish the job if it is less than a days work.
Why Permits & Inspections Are So Important!
So you’ve decided to add a room or two on to your home, you want it done right but you are thinking about doing it without a permit to save time and money? This would be a very bad choice, and the financial and safety consequences may cost you much more in the long run.
In most areas of North America, you have to have a permit for any work that involves structural changes to your home or the addition of a structure. The exception may be some areas that are so remote the nearest town’s building department does not include it as part of it’s jurisdiction. Even in this case, you are still required to build according to the areas building codes.
Choosing The Right Caulking Gun for Best Results
Sometimes a good tradesman can blame his tools… if he buys the wrong ones, but then again, he should know which tools to buy. When it comes to caulking guns, buying the right type can make all the difference in the world. Shown in the image are the 2 most common caulking guns available, the skeleton style and the ratchet style. Unless you do a lot of caulking, you will not know which is best and why. Do not buy the ratchet style, they are usually very cheaply made and offer little control over the flow of caulking. See below for a comparison of both guns
Should You Use Aqua-Board & Durock Cement Board in Your Bathroom?
The picture on your left shows the correct areas to use Aqua-Board drywall (green) and Durock NextGen Concrete Backboards (gray). The open framing above and below the tub will also get covered with Durock. Ceramic tile will go over the Durock panels and the Aqua-Board is to be painted.
If you are planning a complete bathroom renovation and looking for ways to save money, the one area you do not want to skimp on is the drywall and concrete backer boards (for tub and shower areas to be tiled). Considering that the average 5′ x 8′ bathroom will only require about 8 sheets of drywall (4′ x 8′) the extra cost to use Aqua-Guard drywall throughout the entire bathroom will only be an additional $80. The cost to tape and finish the Aqua-Baord is the same as regular drywall.
With bathroom renovations costing upwards of $5000, does it make sense to go cheap on drywall and save the $80? Absolutely not! Get the good stuff and do it right. Areas with ceramic tile, marble or granite should have Durock NextGen Concrete board installed (or equal type of concrete board if Durock is not available in your area).
What are these products? See below for more information…
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My Favorite Magazines!
When it comes to woodworking and home repairs, two magazines stand out from all the others, Fine Woodworking and Fine Homebuilding. I have collected these for years and always enjoy going back to old issues and checking out various projects and tips. The quality is high and you'll find these magazines feel more like book quality.
Turning the pages of Fine Woodworking or Fine Homebuilding is like a kid in a candy store - so much cool stuff you just have to try. Over all I give these magazines a rating of 10/10 - some issues 9/10.
Don't buy these in the store, you can save over 30% using my links above (images) to grab a subscription. -
NEW! Holmes Magazine
If there is one guy who's opinion you can trust for construction and renovation advice it is Mike Holmes from Holmes on Homes. Now you can get his advice delivered right to your door with the launch of his new magazine!
If you've been wondering where you can subscribe to his new magazine? Look no further, you can get a subscription right now for only $18.95 Cdn and save up to 52% off the newsstand price (6 issues). I got mine and am looking forward to the first issue. Visit HolmesMagazine.com to get yours today!
