1. Seal all small entry holes under sinks, by baseboards, and outside.

Your house, no matter how well it was built, is bound to have a few holes somewhere along the way. These holes are put to good use by pests and before long, you may be overrun. In order to prevent this, get some hardware mesh and attach it over the holes. This mesh will usually keep out larger bugs and mice, and is very economical to install.

For warped boards under sinks and smaller gaps, consider purchasing insulation in a spray can. This can be sprayed directly onto the hole and will effectively seal it up to keep pests out. You may need to keep checking it, especially if mice decide to give it a nibble.

2. Place traps around your home.

Mouse traps, bug traps and other small critter traps can be very effective at keeping the pest population in your home under control. These traps are usually economical and there are many options now available. For example, you can now find easy close mouse traps that prevent you from have to actually touch the dead mouse, and they are much more effective than the old wooden ones with fake cheese. You may need to bait these traps however, in order to get the most functionality out of them. Peanut butter works very well for mice since they can’t grab it and run.

If the thought of killing the critters doesn’t work for you, you can also purchase live traps, or more human traps that kill with a quick electric shock. Although you may not like the fact that you are killing a small creature, the fact of the matter is they can cause thousands in damage to your home and they are indeed health hazards.

3. Stop the damage before it is done.

If you see one mouse, or one bug, chances are there are plenty more than you haven’t spotted yet. Be on the lookout for droppings, and dead bugs around your home. Try to find their entry point and seal it up. This is an easy way to take care of business before it gets out of hand.

With careful attention and prevention, you can keep your home pest free all year long. If you live in the country, you may need to up your efforts, or consider installing ultrasound devices that will plug into the wall and prevent pests from moving in with sound waves, since these can be very effective.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-11-04 05:21:30. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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First and foremost, assess the concrete wall in your basement. If the damage appears to be leaking, then you should be using plugging cement that is quick hardening, or a concrete epoxy to fill it in. When you mix the cement for the dry patch spots, you should be using one part cement mixed with two parts of sand in order to make a mortar. You should slowly add water in until you have a dough like consistency, stirring well along the way.

Should a new leak spring up in an area close to the repair site, then there may be water that is backing up against the foundation's exterior, and this can be a serious problem. As a result, you are going to have to take more drastic measures with the help of a repairing building contractor as leak repair measures must be taken before this problem becomes any more serious or any more significant.

If you have a hole in your cement, here is what you can do: You can use a cold chisel to make the hole bigger, undercutting edges so that the plug is not going to pop loose. You can mix plugging cement, creating a stopper shape that you can pop right into the hole as if it were a cork. Keep it in place for a few minutes and let it harden.

If you are dealing with cracks in your cement, here is what you can do: You can use a hammer and a chisel in order to cut cracks back to the sound material, beveling the edges. Then moisten the cracks really well. Turn the mortar several times using a trowel, then work the well mixed mortar into the cracks using just the very tip of the trowel. One the mortar is beginning to harden, you can pack the crack completely full. Shave off whatever mortar is extra using a putty knife or a wet trowel and let everything harden.

Photo Credits: pirate johnny

Originally posted 2009-06-18 05:38:53. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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One of the most common causes of a toilet leak is that the wax ring that is found inside the toilet near its bottom gets worn out. If this is the case, then the fix is a relatively easy and inexpensive one, it just takes a little bit of effort since you need to unmount the entire toilet in order to get to it.

As with any other toilet repair, the first thing that you’ll want to do is shut off the water flow to the toilet. Usually, there’s a valve right behind the toilet that does this. After you’ve turned the valve, flush the toilet a few times to drain as much water as you can. No extra water should flow into the bowl – if it does then you need to turn the valve tighter. After draining the bowl, soak up the remaining water with a sponge.

Once that’s done, then next step is to prepare to unmount the toilet to get at the source of the toilet leak. You will find some nuts on the base of the toilet that are used to hold it in place. Simply use a wrench to remove them – you may need to remove their plastic coverings with a wedge first.

Those nuts are actually all that holds the toilet in place, so now you can simply lift the toilet away carefully. Once that’s done, you should see the opening in the floor where the toilet’s plumbing begins. Find some way to plug up the hole to ensure nothing comes back at you, and then you’re ready to solve your toilet leak problem.

If the wax ring is in fact the problem, the wear and degradation should be obvious. Use a wedge to pry off what remains of the old ring both from the base of the toilet and from the pipes. There should be space for you to insert the wax ring into the base of the toilet. Once that step is completed, all you have to do is carefully line up the toilet with its plumbing and the bolts in the floor. Once you’ve remounted the toilet and secured the bolts, you’re done.

No more toilet leak!

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Photo Credits: pboothe

Originally posted 2009-09-05 09:55:37. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

• How to Prevent a Damp Basement With black and other forms of mold becoming an enormous problem for Americans, it has never been more important to make sure that your home is not a breeding ground. Mold is very harmful, and black mold in particular can be deadly. No one wants to go around breathing spores......
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The better choice is to repair the cabinets. How to do so depends greatly upon the location and extent of the damage done to them. If the damage is light, then it can be very easy to repair and will require minimal quantities of parts to purchase, which means a cheaper fix. Based upon the problem areas of the cabinet, the determination of what is needed in terms of money and time becomes clear. From this, you can figure out if it would be cost effective to fix the cabinets, or if it is required to replace them.

Doors and Hinges:

The easiest area to fix, a problem with the door and hinges on the cabinet cab be fixed by looking at a couple of things. Look at the screws; do any need to be tightened? If that is not sufficient, you may need to replace them with larger or longer screws. If the holes for the screws are too damaged, then you can move them to another part of the door

Drawers:

This is another easy to fix area, even if the problem is a stuck drawer. Moving and repositioning the drawer until both runners are back in place will fix most sliding problems. It may be the case however that damage may be done to the slides or runners. If this should be the case, then they will need to be replaced. Many times however, the necessary fix is to ensuring that all screws are tight and in their right locations.

Frame:

Should something occur to the frame and wood of the cabinet, the question is to what extent is the damage. For minor occurrences of damage, it'll work just to reassemble the pieces with wood glue. As the damage grows in magnitude, so will the methods to repair them. More extensive repairs will require something stronger, such as an epoxy wood kit, or the introduction of a piece of wood the same species as the cabinet.

When you should find that damage has occurred to your cabinets it is key to assess the damage and find out what it will take to repair the damage. It could be fixed with a screw driver, or a small trip to the home improvement store. Do not overestimate what you can do however; there are always jobs that beyond the homeowner and it may be best to contact outside help. It may even be the case that the damage is so extensive as to warrant fully replacing the cabinets. Just check out the situation and come up with a plan.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-12-03 05:30:21. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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First, you will need to get some solid plumbing books or DVDs that will walk you through the most common jobs. You can refer to these if you get stuck during a project. Having these books on hand can really make a difference, especially when you are under the wire. If you already know how to do basic plumbing, you’re just one step ahead. Try to get a variety of different books that cover not only basic pipe and drain issues, but also how to fix toilets and fixtures to make sure you have a well rounded library.

Next, you will need to make sure that you have the right tools on hand for the job. Here’s what we recommend: a variety of different pipe wrenches, appropriately sized for your house’s plumbing. It sounds simple, but many people find out too late that they don’t have the right wrench on hand during an emergency. It is also a good idea to purchase what is called a plumber’s snake. These are tools that can be used to quickly unclog a drain and they are very helpful.

It is also a good idea to have a variety of caulks, sealants and silicone on hand. These are very helpful when it comes to fixing a leak, or putting in new tile. Make sure that they are all properly closed so that you don’t end up with a bunch of dried out tubes when you really need them. Next, you should have a good supply of pipe fittings for your different pipes throughout the house. The hardware store will have a variety of elbow joints, end caps and other things that you will need. Measure your pipes and get everything that you need.

You should also keep a supply of drain cleaner, empty buckets, gloves and other small items that are usually required during a repair session. Make sure your tool box contains a propane blow torch, a variety of pliers and wrenches and anything else that your house may require. Keep all of your tools in a safe, dry place where they can be easily accessed. That way, when something does happen, you’ll be able to grab your stuff and get right to work.

Finally, it is a good idea to practice your skills from time to time, so that they don’t get rusty. If you have an extra bathroom, you can use this to try fixing a leak, cleaning out a drain or replacing the workings of your toilet. You’ll stay fresh and you’ll be ready to handle anything that comes your way.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-08-19 05:06:02. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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