Fire Extinguisher Cabinet - Fire extinguishers come in four different classes. Each class is designed to fight a different kind of fire. Class A and B extinguishers have a numerical rating that determine the extinguishing potential based on size and type.

Class A Extinguishers will put out fires in ordinary combustibles such as wood and paper. The numerical rating refers to the amount of water the fire extinguisher holds and the amount of fire it is designed to extinguish.

Class B Extinguishers are used on fires involving flammable liquids like grease, gasoline, oil, etc. The numerical rating states the approximate number of square feet of a flammable liquid fire that can be extinguished.

Class C Extinguishers are for use on electrical fires. This class of fire extinguishers does not have a numerical rating. The presence of the letter “C” indicates that the extinguishing agent is non-conductive.

Fiberglass Ceiling Tile - Ceiling tiles are relatively easy to install. You don't need a lot of special equipment, and layout is not very difficult. The key is planning. Getting the layout right before starting will go a long way toward that professional look.

Selecting the Tiles

Most ceiling tiles are made of fiberboard. Standard tiles measure 12" by 12", although tiles are also made in 12" by 24" and other sizes. Acoustical tiles are made from the same type of fiber with an additional manufacturing process to help absorb sound in a room. A well designed acoustical tile absorbs up to 70 percent of excess noise.

Ask the supplier to help estimate the materials you need for installation. Most manufacturers provide charts to determine the number of tiles, the amount of furring, and the gallons of adhesive needed (if adhesive is used) based on the room size. Tiles are typically packed as follows: 12" by 12" ceiling tiles in cartons of 40, 12" by 24" are packed 20 to a carton.

Ceiling Tile Installation Methods

The most common methods of ceiling tile application are adhesives, stapled or nailed to wood furring strips, or a metal grid suspended from the overhead floor joists. For ceilings made of plaster, sheetrock, or other materials that provides a smooth, continuous backing, use adhesives to apply the ceiling tiles. If the ceiling has cracked plaster or other defects, apply furring strips and nail or staple the tiles to the furring strips.

Basic Rules

• All cut tiles should be used for the edges of the room where the ceiling meets the walls.

• Cut tiles at opposite ends of the room should be the same size.

• If at all possible, cut tiles should not be less than half a tile wide.

Determine the Size of Border Tiles

Measure the distance from wall to wall on the longer side of the room. If the length measures exact feet, you will not need to cut border tiles for that direction. If the distance does not come out in exact feet, add 12 to the number of inches remaining and divide by two. This gives you the width of your border tiles. For example, if the room is 10′ 6" long, add 12 to 6 (18) and divide 18 by 2. The result of 9" is the width of the border tiles for each end of the run. Do the same thing for the shorter side of the room. Confused? Here is the result of the calculations:

• 10′ 6" = 126 total inches of the run (10′ x 12" to the foot = 120") + 6" = 126"

• 6" + 12" = 18" (to make sure each end tile is at least 1/2 tile wide)

• 18" / 2 = 9"

• 9" on start of run + 9" on end of run = 18", so 126" (total length of the run) - 18" = 108"

• 108" / 12" (size of standard ceiling tile) = 9 tiles in middle of the run

• 9 tiles x 12" = 108" + 9" start of run + 9" end of run = 126"

• 126" / 12" = 10′ 6"
  

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House Plan - So you have decided to build your own home. Although it can be very rewarding, you must be ready - financially and emotionally - to deal with the myriad or problems that will occur. And if you are going to actually do the work yourself instead of acting as general contractor, you must have time, determination, and tons of patience.

Just dealing with local building inspectors can be maddening. Answer this question; If a building inspector is actually good enough to build a home, then why doesn't he/she do that for a living instead of inspecting them? There is a far greater profit potential to building verses inspecting. So you will be up against ridiculous and unnecessary change requests from inspectors that know less about the project than you. In some cases, a lot less.

I personally witnessed one inspector that demanded all screws be removed from a new deck and replaced with nails. Now really, how much sense does that make, especially when every other deck in the area was built with screws and passed final inspection. Unreal. If you can't handle this type of lunar logic, then find someone that can.

Don't count on anybody to do their job right. Just because an architect has a nice office and a good reputation doesn't mean the drawings will be done properly. The contractor that comes highly recommended might end up ripping you off with shoddy work. You absolutely must stay on top of the entire home building project to prevent losing money or getting a house that you hate. It's amazing how many contractors can't even read a simple set of blueprints. And don't let them talk you into changing something unless you really want the change. In some cases, the contractor is simply trying to swap cheaper materials to increase the profit margin.

Get a firm estimate, put everything in a contract, and hold everybody to it. Don't allow excessive monetary draws. While it's customary to have an initial draw, make sure it's for actual building expenses and not some kind of "fee" to get work started. Every dime should go towards actually building the house. While material costs vary, and there is usually a clause in the contract that allows for this, don't fall for the "I'm not making any money on this project" scam three quarters of the way through. Unless you have made changes to the original plan that increase the cost, or supplies go up more than anticipated, don't pay any more than stated in the contract. Pay a dollar for a dollar, nothing more, nothing less. If you have been keeping the draws under control you can fire the contractor if necessary and find someone else. Remember that it's your house, your money, and you are the boss.

Snow Roof - Your roof is a very important item. If damage is ignored, the entire structure can be compromised. Just because there are no moving parts does not mean that maintenance is not important.

Your roof must be inspected periodically to ensure minor problems are corrected before real damage sets in. If the pitch of your roof is low, and you are comfortable (and confident) walking around on it, you can perform your own inspection and make small repairs yourself. Otherwise, hire someone to do this for you. Be careful - a fall, even from a single story house, can be fatal.

Here are some reasons why roofs fail:

Inadequate Maintenance - Ignoring small problems is the single greatest reason for premature failure of roofing systems. Catching small damage early and making repairs is vital to longevity. Waiting until water is dripping inside the house is a great way to unnecessarily spend a lot of money. By the time you notice a leak, the damage has most likely spread well beyond the original problem area.

Weathering - All roofing materials deteriorate from exposure to weather. As stated earlier, the elements take a toll on your roof. Wind is the greatest enemy. Roofs are not generally designed to withstand hurricanes and tornados. But roofs may also be damaged by winds that gust up to 75 miles per hour. The air current can lift shingles up and break off the outer tab. This exposes the the top of the underlying shingle, and makes the roof thinner at that point.

Cottage House Plan - Building your own home (either yourself or by hiring a general contractor) is a rewarding - yet challenging - experience. Before you decide to go this way, you need a clear picture of what type of home you want. Do you need a two story or one? What about an attached garage? How many beds and baths will be sufficient for the size of your family? Keep detailed notes during your planning stage.

Once you've gathered all the necessary details, decide if you want to build it yourself, act as general contractor, or hire someone to manage the project.

As the manager, your biggest responsibility is hiring the subcontractors who will do the work. Do you know someone that recently had work performed on their house? Who did they use? Was it done on time and within budget? Would they use them again.

Drive around neighborhoods you like and find out who's building the houses. If you have dealt with subcontractors in the past (and you trust their opinion), get recommendations from them. If your carpenter recommends an electrician he works with frequently, that's a solid lead.

Once you get names, you want to learn all you can. Get a list of references and talk to them. Examine past work in person. Arrange to meet them on a current job site. When you find subcontractors you like, start writing down the work quotes. And remember that the low bidder doesn't necessarily do the best work.

Concrete Foundation Raise Repair - Cracked sidewalks and driveways can have a negative effect on the look or your home. And the damage tends to worsen with time due to water getting under the structure. Fortunately, repair is not too difficult.

Cracks in Sidewalks

Enlarge the crack along its entire length with a cold chisel and hammer. Use gloves and eye protection! Make the crack wider at the bottom than at the top, a process known as undercutting. It helps to bond the new concrete with the older concrete. After the crack has been thoroughly undercut, remove all loose material and brush the area with a wire brush.

The new concrete patch will hold better if a concrete adhesive is used first. This will both assist with bonding and prevent old concrete from absorbing moisture from the newly installed patch. Brush the adhesive into the undercut area and allow it to dry until it becomes tacky.

Use one part Portland cement to 2 1/2 parts of fine, clean sand. Heavier concrete patch jobs call for one part of Portland cement to two parts of sand and three parts of gravel. Building supply centers sell pre-mixed concrete for this type of job. All you add is water and it makes things much easier than buying and mixing the ingredients yourself.

Carpet Cleaners - Carpets are made by pulling loops of synthetic or wool yarn through a tough backing. These loops are often cut to create the carpet's pile. The most durable synthetic carpeting material is nylon. It wears well and is quite stain resistant. Other synthetic materials are olefin, polyester, and acrylic. Wool has the most pleasant and natural texture, and is also the most expensive. The fibers used have a dramatic impact on a carpet's look and performance.

The list of synthetic fibers can be confusing because manufacturers often call them by proprietary names. Still, all synthetics fall into four generic categories: nylon, olefin, acrylic, and polyester.

Nylon - The majority of carpet fibers are made of nylon. Nylon fibers are resilient, survive the weight of furniture, and hold up well in heavily trafficked areas. Nylon is available in a vast array of colors, and solution-dyed types are colorfast. Nylon carpets can be found in a wide variety of wear ratings and price ranges. This is generally the best choice of carpet fiber for the home.

Olefin - Also known as polypropylene, olefin is another popular choice for carpet. It is easy to clean, strong, and resists stains and wear. Olefin is used mostly in Berbers and commercial carpets. Color is added before the material is turned into fiber, making it colorfast. Olefin carpet is comparable in price to nylon.