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"The Bitterness of Poor Quality Remains Long After The Sweetness of Low Price is Forgotten"
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- 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!
- Roof Shingles All Over The Yard?
- WALLTITE ECO™ – The Purple Spray Foam Insulation
- Standard Wall Framing for Drywall
- Stuck For Design Ideas – Check Out “TRENDS”
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Stuck For Design Ideas – Check Out “TRENDS”
Living in small towns has many advantages, no rush hour, easy living, peaceful surroundings, lots of outdoor recreation… the list goes on. But, when it comes to the latest product choices and design ideas for your new home, renovation or yard, living in a small town has it’s downside – their is no big name stores that can afford to display all the latest and greatest products, and stores seldom carry the best upscale design magazines.
If you are looking to set your new home or renovation apart from the rest and tap into some very cool design ideas, I strongly encourage you to check out “TRENDS MAGAZINE“. This magazine brings you the latest designs and products from across the country and even overseas. Unlike many upscale magazines, TRENDS focuses on designs that are both practical and beautiful, with enough variety to please most people
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).
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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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!
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58 Garage Plans - One Low Price!
If you are an serious handyman or do it yourselfer and are planning to build a garage or barn, You'll love these plans and designs for 58 garages! I stumbled on this package when looking for ideas and cheap plans. I was very impressed with what I got for the price. Check out 58GaragePlans.com for yourself, even though these plans are smaller and less detailed than regular blueprints, you won't regret buying this package - there is lots of ideas, construction details and plans for only $29.00!