Building Codes - Stairway Construction

The stair building code was created for building safety. Before the building code and local city enforcement (Building Inspectors), anyone could build a house. This meant Uncle Earl who had just watched a couple of his friends build a house down the street construct some sort of a dwelling. The next step for Earl would be to help these guys for a day and now he is a professional home builder. You get the point.

Stair Building Codes create the safety needed for one of the most hazardous areas of your home. You might know someone who has fallen down a stairway?

I lived in a house I built for 15 years and I redesigned the stairs from a winder design to a T shaped set of stairs. Both sets of stairs were built using the local stair building code for my city.

Wow I could not believe how many times my family members fell down the stairs. I even fell down once. I was amazed. When I switched from the winder to the T shaped stairway there were less accidents. My point is that even using the stair building codes this is a dangerous part of your house.

Having a professional stair builder install your stairs is great advice. Take it. For example this happened to me on quite a few jobs. I get a set of plans from a architect who has been designing houses for over 40 years. I looked at the stairway to find out that he has designed a stairway that is too small for the length of this part of the home. If I build the stairs using the plans that by the way were approved from the local building department, I could have a problem.

You are probably asking yourself how does this happen. Aren't these people experienced professionals. Of course they are. They probably have the U.B.C. (Uniform Building Code) in their office somewhere. Everyone makes mistakes here and there but this is one area of the home where safety is a big concern.

Just look at it like this. The stair building code was designed to improve the safety and reduce the number of accidents while using the stairs. Over the years I have seen stairs poorly designed and constructed. These stairs create problems for the owners of the buildings not just the people that use them. Did I mention lawsuits. This is one area where a lawyer will have a field day.

As a building professional I advise you to use the stair building code first for safety and second to avoid lawsuits. Get an idea from some of the pictures I have taken over the years on problems with stair building.

Use common sense while building or remodeling your home. It goes a long way.

Greg Vandenberge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more building stairs books and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry. Stair Building Articles

Types of Countertops

When remodeling or building your home, you naturally want it to look as beautiful as possible. You put a lot of thought into every decision. The countertops are no different. You want to make sure you get a beautiful surface that can handle lots of use, and is somewhat affordable. Here are a few options.

Laminate is a popular choice because of its versatility and reasonable price. You can get it in a huge variety of colors, and even choose different finishes and patterns.

Stone, of course, is highly popular. Typically it is more expensive but it is well worth it because of its beauty. Granite is the most durable and the most popular. It looks beautiful and handles stress well. Marble is also used, but it is a softer stone than granite and damages more easily.

Some people use a form of wood for their countertops. It is known as butcher block. This can be beautiful, but keep in mind that wood is a soft material so it is easy to damage. It will also stain more easily if something spills and it will attract more germs.

You can create your own look for your kitchen by using ceramic tiles. These tiles do sometimes chip, but they are easily replaced. It may require a little more maintenance to keep the grout clean, but these can add a touch of personality to the home.

When it is time for you to buy your countertops, take the time to consider those mentioned above. Of course, these aren't the only types of countertops available, but they are some of the more popular. The best thing you can do is to learn what you can about them, price them, and make an informed decision.

Ideal Countertops (http://idealcountertops.com/) does countertops in Charlotte, NC. Billings Farnsworth is a freelance writer.

What Does a GFI Do? - Electrical Problems

In your bathroom you should have a GFI electrical outlet. Most new homes or newly remodeled homes require you to have GFI electrical outlets in the kitchen. Most older kitchens do not have GFI electrical outlets. GFI stands for ground fault circuit interrupter.

Why not call it a GFCI instead of a GFI electrical outlet? Well it is called a GFCI in some instances. GFI is short and is the most common name used by most electricians and builders for this type of outlet.

GFI 's come in 15 amp and 20 amperage outlets. GFI outlets must be wired properly. Make sure you're using the proper wire size when hooking up the GFI outlet.

How do I know which size wire to use? This all depends on how far away you are running it from the electrical panel. There are charts you can use to figure this out. If you are not running the electrical wire more than 80 feet from the electrical panel you can use 12 gauge electrical wires for a 20 amp GFI. This is a general rule of thumb for most electrical house wiring.

If you're going to be using a 15 amp GFI and you are going to be less than 80 feet away from the electrical panel you can use 14 gauge electrical wires. Again this is just a general rule of thumb for most electrical house wiring.

A GFI is a light duty electrical plug used in bathrooms, kitchens and the exterior of your house. The sole purpose of the GFI is to shut the breaker off faster if there is any moisture or light load problems.

Let's say for instance you have your hair dryer plugged into the GFI outlet. The hair dryer somehow falls into the sink while it is on or plugged in. The GFI outlet will instantly shut off because of the sensitivity of the breaker inside of the plug it self.

The GFI plug has a test button and a reset button on it. If you are continually resetting the GFI you will wear it out eventually. I have had GFI plugs after resetting the button about 10 times break and no longer able to use them.

The GFI electrical plug is a great idea and if you don't have them in your bathroom or outside of your home it would be a great idea to have an electrician install them for you.

Greg Vandenberge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more Home Building Library and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

San Diego Termite Damage

Basement Bathroom Remodeling Improves Your Home's Value!

Did you know that there's a relatively simple, not terribly expensive way to increase the value of your home without expanding the exterior footprint? You can get more livable space and more equity, simply by finishing your basement. This is much less intensive than many other home improvement project, and homeowners who decide to do a basement finishing project get as much as eighty-five percent of their investment back in many cases. One important element to any finished basement is the bathroom. Basement bathroom remodeling projects are excellent for just about any home and just about any family. If you're living in an older single family residence with just one bathroom, adding another one is one of the best choices you can make.

People love the space and comfort that a finished basement has to offer. Any basement can become a rec room, entertainment room, extra or guest bedroom, library, office, and even your own personal fitness center. You just have to decide how your finished basement will best benefit. Remember to plan with care, and don't forget to include a basement bathroom remodeling project along with your other remodeling plans. No one wants to have to run up and down stairs whenever they need to use the bathroom, especially if there's something going on in the basement. Making your basement bathroom friendly, usable and accessible is important and will increase convenience while adding value.

It's not as hard as you think to add an extra room to your basement. You can even do it yourself if you happen to have the required experience and knowledge. If you know how to do part of the work, but aren't trained as an electrician or plumber, that doesn't mean your basement bathroom remodeling ideas have to fall by the wayside, either. Just contact a professional, talk to him or her about your plans, and have only the work you don't know how to do done by a pro. Remember that in some areas, local codes may require you to have your work signed off on by professionals, or even to have the major work done by someone else. It's important to know as much as you can about code in your area before you even begin to plan. That'll help you avoid legal entanglements later.

Some of the things you'll need to do for any basement bathroom remodeling project include using water resistant paints and materials, making sure the flooring is something that won't attract moisture, mold, and mildew, and being certain you're doing the plumbing and drains correctly. Installing a bathroom in a basement that's located below the drains can be tricky, often requiring use of special fixtures or additional mechanisms. This doesn't have to cost a lot, but you should know what you need well in advance. That way, you won't find yourself wasting time or money by using a solution that won't work for your situation.

A basement bathroom remodeling project should be part of any finished basement. It'll make using the finished space much more pleasant, and it'll add even more to your home's value. Since this is one of the least expensive renovations you can do in your home, there's no reason not to take on a well planned basement bathroom project. It could really make a big difference in your home.

Thomas Johnsen is the Author and Leading Expert on Basement Bathroom Remodel and the creator of the publication Basement Bathroom Remodeling. Visit the site now to find the easy-to-understand step-by-step guides on basement bathroom construction available online today.

Window Safety Checklist - Homeowners Must Read

Broken glass is definitely a health hazard, for anyone who is near it, when the glass is actually broken. After the glass is broken and is laying on the ground in pieces, people can still get hurt. Here's a basic window safety checklist for homeowners that everyone must read. It will provide you with some simple tips that could prevent a loved one from getting seriously injured in the future.

1. Contact your local building department or fire department, to get the basic requirements for using your window as a fire escape. Your windows can be used to jump out of, if there is a fire inside your home.

2. Make sure that young children avoid playing around windows. You should always teach your children, never to throw large objects or balls in the house.

3. You might think about installing a window ladder, if you live in a two-story home, which could be made of rope or chain. These latter's can be thrown out of the window, while latching onto the window sill, in case there's a fire. It would provide you with an alternative from jumping out of the window. Don't under estimate these fire ladders, they can be extremely difficult to climb down.

4. If you leave large sliding glass doors open on a regular basis and clean them spontaneously, others might not realize they're closed, because they're so clean. Simply put a piece of tape on the window to prevent other people from thinking there open. You would be surprised how many accidents happen, from clean windows.

5. Last but not least, one of the most important problems with windows. Think security, if you leave your windows open and leave the house, someone now as easy access. There are plenty of ways to make your windows secure, using locks that clamp on to the side of the window. This will allow you to leave the windows open about 4 inches, leaving you the desired ventilation and preventing burglars from entering your domain.

If a window is cracked, or broken it should be replaced as soon as possible. Try to avoid fixing broken glass your self if you don't have any experience. Plenty of people get hurt every year, simply underestimating how sharp broken glass can actually be.

Home Window Ideas

Greg Vandenberge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a Home Buyers Guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

Looking for some new Home Improvement Ideas

Are You Planning to Remodel Or Upgrade Your Bathroom?

There are seemingly a million things you can do to upgrade your bathroom, whether you want a small 2 minute project, a weekend gig, or a full month overhaul. Maybe you're bored, or you're systematically updating various parts your house and the bathroom just happens to be next. Either way, this is not something to be taken lightly, especially if you want to do the full enchilada. Write it out, make drawings if necessary, price your options at various stores and then dig in when the timing is right.

So what are your options? Ok, you could do something small like replacing the bathroom shower faucet. Not enough? Maybe you replace the whole shower enclosure. Or how about a new toilet with automatic flushing? Or a new bathroom vanity or medicine cabinet? Don't turn around, you may need new light fixtures or a shower curtain.

See? You can start small and it will easily blow up into a major overhaul. If this is the only bathroom in your house you have the added complication of keeping it functional as much as possible while you work. It's not just a demolition zone, you have to keep it safe and usable. If you have secondary bathrooms available then consider yourself lucky, although other members of your house will still be pushing you to finish quickly.

If you're ready for the major overhaul then talk to a design specialist for ideas, how to plan the demolition and rebuild and how to pick the right appliances and features you'll need. If you're handy enough to do it all yourself you'll save a fortune in outside labor costs. If you can't, then hire a contractor who knows his stuff and get a firm deadline written out. You don't want this drag on any longer than necessary.

If you need to research more information about your bathroom remodel and want specifics about bathroom shower enclosures or Delta shower faucets please visit our websites.

Subfloor Damage From Poor Bathtub Installation - Read Bath Tub Fixture Manuals

You should never under estimate the amount of damage that water can do to your wood subfloor. Especially if this wood is underneath your bathtub. If the bathtub is not installed properly, you could find yourself replacing the wood underneath, within a short period of time. This repair is not uncommon and as more homeowners and handyman seemed to be doing projects like these, without the proper experience, it's becoming even more common.

I wish I had a solution to the problem, however, I don't. The best advice I could give anyone who is going to be involved in any home remodeling project, would be to get some books on what ever task you are about to undertake and read all of the information that you possibly can about the products you are going to be installing. This is extremely helpful for anyone who has never installed a bathtub or any bathtub fixtures.

If the product fails and was installed properly, the manufacturer should be responsible for the water damage. I have been reading the manufacturer's installation manuals for quite some time now and every once in a while, I find something that is of great value to me and I get to pass it on to my readers. That's what I'm doing right now.

Whether you want to remodel your bathroom to save money or you want to accomplish a task that you haven't done yet. I would recommend, taking the time to understand, exactly how the water flows off of and on to another section of the bath tub or shower on its way to the drain. Understanding the basics of bathroom remodeling can save you big money in the future.

Save yourself some money and make sure that you install your bathtubs properly. Taking a little time before you start to read the bath tub fixture manuals, can save you some money and grief in the future.

Find More Facts On Home Water Damage.

Greg Vandenberge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a Home Buyers Guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

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