Providing up-to-date information on home improvement is our favorite project! Home Improvement http://www.networx.com/member/networx/blog Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:19:39 +0000

Banisters can be a safety hazard for babies and children. You can prevent your children from climbing and falling through banisters by installing a clear plastic shield. Alternatively, you may want to consider re-building your banister posts. Wider, thicker and stronger banister posts are safer than the standard banister posts in most homes. See full article.]]> http://www.networx.com/tip/childproofing-banisters http://www.networx.com/tip/childproofing-banisters Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:17:38 +0000

Lead Check swabs are an amazing and economical way to check household products for lead. This kit is available for under $10.00. The swabs provide results in minutes and can be used on plates, furniture and many other surfaces throughout your home. The results are simple to understand; The darker the color on the swab, the higher the lead level. Read Thrifty Décor Chick's blog post and see how she used Lead Check to check for lead around her home. See full article.]]> http://www.networx.com/tip/household-lead-test-kit http://www.networx.com/tip/household-lead-test-kit Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:14:52 +0000

Thanksgiving is just one week away. It's not too late to add some Thanksgiving home décor to your home. There are some great ideas out there in the blogosphere: Thanksgiving themed mantels, wreaths, table décor and much more. Personally, I love all crafty, DIY kinds of Thanksgiving projects - I get inspired by other's creativity very easily and there is something special about handmade crafts on Thanksgiving. So, today's blog is dedicated to all you amazing crafty people out there who enjoy making a house into a home with beautiful handmade projects. See full article.]]> http://www.networx.com/member/Networx/blog/the-best-of-the-blogosphere-thanksgivin http://www.networx.com/member/Networx/blog/the-best-of-the-blogosphere-thanksgivin Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:50:38 +0000

If you scrape paint from the walls in an older house where the paint is most likely to have lead in it, you must dispose of the paint shavings as if you were disposing of liquid paint. Those paint chips are toxic, so please dispose of them in a sealed container. See full article.]]> http://www.networx.com/tip/how-to-dispose-of-toxic-paint-shavings http://www.networx.com/tip/how-to-dispose-of-toxic-paint-shavings Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:49:28 +0000

This old-fashioned invention will save you money on firewood, and offers a great way to reuse old newspapers. Soak the newspapers in water, roll them in the Newspaper Log Roller, and remove the "log" from the roller. After letting the newspaper logs dry, you have slow-burning wood stove fuel. Photo credit/available at: Lehmans.com. See full article.]]> http://www.networx.com/tip/newspaper-log-roller http://www.networx.com/tip/newspaper-log-roller Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:25:14 +0000

I was just reading The Burning Blog, the official blog of the Burning Man festival. I was looking for some DIY inspiration, and I can't think of a better place to find it than at the world's biggest DIY festival. I was looking for cool DIY structures from this year's Burning Man festival to feature when I came upon a blog entry that was really radically exciting: Black Rock City 2009: Officially GONE. See full article.]]> http://www.networx.com/member/Networx/blog/diy-wednesday-i-heart-black-rock-city http://www.networx.com/member/Networx/blog/diy-wednesday-i-heart-black-rock-city Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:42:44 +0000
Trying to remodel your kitchen on a budget? Does your range hood work great but doesn't match your new kitchen design. Don't replace it - paint it! When we painted over our old and slightly rusty range hood, it actually made a huge impact - in fact, when friends and family came over they couldn't figure out what we did to make the kitchen look so much better. Make sure to first clean the hood and get all the grease off before painting. Consider getting creative and go for a faux finish as pictured. See full article.]]> http://www.networx.com/tip/paint-your-range-hood http://www.networx.com/tip/paint-your-range-hood Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:40:32 +0000
If your hardwood floor is warped, stained, or squeaky, or has large gaps between the floor boards then your floor is due for a re-finish. Make sure your hardwood floor is at least ¾ inch thick before sanding otherwise you could end up sanding the sub floor. If your floor is too thin then consult a flooring pro to discuss your options. Unsure whether you should go for the re-finish? Try this test: Pour a few drops of water on the floor. If the floor soaks up the water upon contact then it's a sure sign that the wood fibers are exposed and your floor needs a re-finish. See full article.]]> http://www.networx.com/tip/when-to-re-finish-a-hardwood-floor http://www.networx.com/tip/when-to-re-finish-a-hardwood-floor Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:38:47 +0000
A worn tap washer is often the cause of a dripping tap. Tap washer drips can stain your sink and a lot of water could be wasted. Replacing a tap washer is pretty simple - just make sure to choose a good quality washer so that you won't need to replace it again in the near future. Watch this video to learn how to replace a leaky tap washer. See full article.]]> http://www.networx.com/tip/stop-a-dripping-tap-replace-your-tap-wa http://www.networx.com/tip/stop-a-dripping-tap-replace-your-tap-wa Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:31:10 +0000
This weeks Eco-Tuesday blog post was inspired by David DeFranza's Article on Planetgreen.discover.com titled, "Five Ways to Save Major Energy While Cooking Thanksgiving Dinner." You can read the entire article here. David presents some ideas that aren't necessarily new but serve as a great reminder for ways to limit energy loss when preparing for Thanksgiving dinner. Some of David's ideas include choosing the proper burner size and putting items in the oven together to cut down on the time the oven is on. Here are some more ideas that I came up with: See full article.]]> http://www.networx.com/member/Networx/blog/eco-tuesday-save-energy-this-thanksgivi http://www.networx.com/member/Networx/blog/eco-tuesday-save-energy-this-thanksgivi