Other online shopping sites offer no-hassle returns and free shipping or other online savings. This is great if the item wasn’t what you had in mind. Online shopping can be easy and save money but be careful, it can also be full of loopholes and scams. To help you save money in remodeling costs, check out my list of 20 direct buy sites.

1. DirectBuy.com. Everything you need to remodel your home can be found at this site. It’s the one-stop-shop for the home remodeler. (Membership required.)



2. Direct kitchen remodeling. This is part of DirectBuy.com and is solely dedicated to improving the kitchen. They have new sinks, flooring, countertops. They place a high value on this room and provide can’t-miss options.
3. Directtile.com. Another part of DirectBuy.com. Here tile is the name of the game. You’ll find an awesome array of tile for the modern or traditional bath. They also provide a great selection of sizes and styles. Top name brands at manufacturer’s cost.



4. Bathroomtiledirect.com. This website is totally dedicated to different bathroom tile styles and sizes. Flooring, showers, walls and tubs – all made of various types of tiles. Take the free tour and see what kind options are available.



5. Kitchenandbathwarehouse.com. They have everything you need to start remodeling that old bathroom or kitchen. Free shipping and online chat consultation.

6. BuildDirect.com. They offer wholesale prices on roofing, flooring, decking, kitchens, and baths. BuildDirect ships anywhere in the world and offers a 30-day money back guarantee.
7. Fastfloors.com. They offer free shipping, price matching and 30 years of business. Fastfloors.com specializes in laminates and tile, including low cost cork and bamboo. They sell top name brands, including Pergo, Stepco, and Barlinek.
8. SelectionGallary.com. Lighting, plumbing, furniture, and fixtures. Authorized dealer of Price Fister, Powell, and others. They offer free shipping and no-hassle returns.
9. Contractorsdirect.com. You can’t do that remodeling project without the right tools. If you’re a pro or a DIY type, this is a great website for buying the right tools to help you finish the job. You can shop by the brand name or under general tools.



10. Overstock.com. They have one of widest selections of name brands to choose from. This wholesale giant has furniture, electronics, and much more. They also offer free shipping.

11. HomeDecorators.com. Very contemporary furniture, rugs, and household accessories.
12. USAppliance.com. Great names brands like GE, Maytag, and Jen-Air. They offer everything from washers and dryers to outdoor kitchens.
13. Wholesaleflooringusa.com. They deal directly with the public – no membership required. Great name brands are available and they have a huge variety of styles and materials.



14. Fencewholesale.com. They offer free shipping for any purchase over $2,000. They’ve been in business for over 20 years and offer fencing in vinyl, steel, wood, aluminum, and chain link.
15. Castlewholesalers.com. They sale paint and paint products below hardware prices.



16. Wholesalepoolfurniture.com. Surplus specials on lounge chairs, bar stools, rockers, and gliders. It’s a sunbather’s bonanza for outdoor furniture.
17. Sunsetter.com. It’s a name that’s synonymous with retractable awnings. Internet savings, dealer information, free DVD, and idea kit are available.
18. Kitchencabinetdepot.com. They offer super fast free shipping and promote their real wood cabinets – no particle board here. You can buy directly from the website or consult with a customer service representative.
19. Costco.com. Operates a wholesale distribution warehouse for electronics, flat screen TVs, furniture, and appliances. (Membership is required.)
20. eBay.com. It’s the world’s largest online marketplace. Buyers and sellers come together and trade just about anything. You don’t have to register upfront, but it is required in order to make a purchase.

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You don’t hear much about asbestos anymore – except for the occasional and annoying “if-you-have-a-phone-then-you-have-a-lawyer” commercials warning about mesothelioma. Chances are you will never have to worry about asbestos in your life, but there is always that slim chance, and knowledge is power - if you know what to do if you are ever exposed to asbestos, then you stand a better chance of averting catastrophe.

Today’s housing market may be increasing risks of asbestos exposure. Many people are finding it much more appealing to renovate or remodel their homes, as opposed to making a new purchase. Some of these old homes contain asbestos in roof shingles, floor tiles, boilers, furnace ducts, and other materials. The problem isn’t so much that there may be asbestos in the house, the big deal is in removing it properly so that no one is exposed to it during the remodeling process.

If you think you may have been exposed to asbestos, you need to see a doctor immediately. Even if nothing ever comes from the exposure, having it noted on your medical record can be helpful in quickly and correctly diagnosing any ailments that may be related to asbestos in your future.

Ask your doctor about cancer screenings or asbestos screenings that may be able to detect any asbestos-related health concerns even before you detect anything. If you’re smoker, it’s highly recommended that you quit smoking (for the everyday reasons, but especially if you’ve been exposed to asbestos), as tobacco and asbestos can be a particularly harmful combination. The two factored together significantly increase the risk of lung cancer.

The next step is to keep on top of your inoculations, like annual flu and pneumonia shots, to help reduce the chance of lung infections, which are particularly devastating to people who have asbestos exposure.

Lastly, just do some research and make sure that you keep on top of all of the news about asbestos and health aspects related to it. Information can be your best ally.

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It is endlessly amazing the way that animal and human life mimic each other. We chuckle and watch the way birds court each other or watch a unique dog whose bark somehow sounds like an English word. But are there more concrete similarities? How do we, as humans, play house just like animals? It may be surprising how often the lines are crossed.

First, the reasons our houses stand out from our mammalian cousins. One, our human inventiveness has facilitated the creation of new materials (concrete, polystyrene, etc.) that have revolutionized home building over the centuries. Two, we have no predators. We don’t mind letting the world know where our houses are.

Yet the growing movement toward green building is bringing natural building materials back to the forefront. And whatever is natural to us is natural to the birds and bees just the same.

The Bees

Photo Credit: BotheredByBees

Aside from their ability to colonize and deal painful blows, bees’ construction expertise is also an inspiration to modern designers. Have a look at honeycomb paper. This interesting honeycomb-like cellulose material creates flexible but strong boards that are also excellent insulators. Are honey-paper houses our future? For a more visual (if not structural) example of our buzzing inspiration, see Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hanna-Honeycomb House on the campus of Stanford University.

The Birds

Since the dawn of their species, birds have been using twigs, grass, straw, and mud to build sturdy (and lofty) homes for their young. And in times past, so did many humans. For some time now we’ve largely ignored the benefits of straw bale housing, including its small footprint and cheap price tag. Again green home building is changing all that. Straw bale houses have incredible insulation value and are relatively easy to build. Any questions? Ask the birds.

Soft as a Squirrel’s House?

Think your lush comforter, designer sofa, or shag carpet set you apart from the animal world? Perhaps in appearance, but not so much in function. Take the squirrels, for instance. They build themselves a home (called a ‘drey’ or ‘den’) with a mostly wooden frame. They then line the inside with fur and feathers for that plush, comfortable feel. More than that, they take safety and wind carefully into account. Who says animals don’t have building codes?

Photo Credit: DDFic

These are the bare minimum of examples. All it takes is a change in mindset to suddenly see similarities everywhere you go. Bears seek refuge in winter, naturally. Geese mate for life and fly south for the winter (calling all Floridians!). The possibilities are endless. Even more grand evidence, I suppose, for the interconnectivity of all things.

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Other symptoms include corroded household wiring and air conditioning coils and discoloration in wood furniture. The alleged cause is high levels of hydrogen sulfide, a toxic gas that affects the nervous system, issuing from contaminated drywall made in some Chinese factories.

There have been at least four class action lawsuits filed in Florida and others have been filed in California, Louisiana, and Alabama against builders that used the toxic drywall in the construction of new homes.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is investigating the complaints and if the drywall proves positive, there will be tens of thousands of potentially affected homes involved. Recently a preliminary report was released by the Florida Department of Health that shows samples of sulfur gases were found in samples of Chinese drywall.

It’s feared the affected homes will add to the already huge numbers of foreclosures. Most of the homes built with Chinese drywall were built during the housing boom between 2005 and 2006, which were also the homes that lost the most in value. Add to that the health risks of living in such a home and it seems the easiest way out for many of these homeowners might be to just walk away.

During the housing boom drywall became a hot commodity; supply couldn’t keep up with the demand which prompted suppliers to look for other sources such as China. During the “boom” more than 550 million pounds of it was imported and shipped to the U.S. with the bulk landing in Florida. Chinese drywall was used to build over 60,000 homes in over a dozen states.

Who’s suing whom? The homeowners are suing the construction companies, the construction companies are suing the suppliers, the suppliers are suing the manufacturers in China, and China is denying any wrongdoing.

Lennar Corp., a Florida homebuilder, has initiated a program to conduct inspections and remove the contaminated drywall in many of its homes. Unfortunately for the homeowners, they’ll have to move out of their homes for at least 6 months while repairs are being made.

Repair costs could run into the tens of millions for builders, not including the unspecified damages that could result from the lawsuits. Not good news for home builders that are already facing financial meltdowns due to the slow-down in new home construction. And, many of the builders named in the lawsuits have already gone bankrupt.

Related articles and resources:
http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/2009/03/23/daily15.html

http://greenbuildingelements.com/2009/03/25/chinese-drywall-blamed-for-health-wiring-problems/

Red flag list of potentially lethal Chinese product recalls:
http://www.who-sucks.com/business/made-in-china-2007-danger-timeline

A greener solution for drywall:
http://www.seriousmaterials.com/html/ecorock.html

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1. Cutting corners. Let’s get the easy one out of the way first. Masking tape’s most common use (beside trash can basketball) is for “cutting” in paint. Simply apply it along corners, ceilings, and around windows to prevent those inevitable slips of the paint brush from marring areas you don’t want to paint.
2. Labeling. There are always reasons to label, not just things, but places. “New Outlet Here” or “Light Fixture There” are just a few. Masking tape, again, comes off easy and, should you change your mind, you haven’t written all over your walls.
3. Hold it down, hold it up. It is tape after all. So why not use it to hold up plastic sheeting across doorways to prevent the spread of dust or hold down the drop cloth while painting.
4. Creative painting. Maybe you want a checkerboard pattern in the kid’s room. Guess who’s there to help you section it off and make painting a breeze. That’s right…masking tape.
5. Cut once, cut straight. I’m borrowing this idea from art class, where tape is often used for cutting poster board and the like. Masking tape makes an easy, removable guide for the many cuts involved in remodeling, especially on the decorating end of the deal.
6. Keep it together. Need to hold anything together? Perhaps a bundle of screws that need saving. Grab the masking tape.
7. On the level. To avoid marking up finished walls, many cabinet installers will use masking tape to mark a level line to ensure getting it right the first time. A worthwhile idea.
8. Permits please. What are you gonna use to tape your building permit to the front door? Masking tape. Do those blueprints keep falling about? Tape them down.
9. Measure once. A common frustration in remodeling is forgetting your number by the time you reach the sawhorses. A couple small strips of masking tape on the face of your tape measure and you have yourself a nice, easy-to-carry writing surface.
10. Cut once, cut cleanly. Say you’re cutting a hole for a light fixture in your wall paneling, you can put masking tape on the saber saw’s guide to prevent scratches or slippage while you cut.

Share your own masking tape ingenuity. Send us a comment!

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In 2000, two rival companies in the wood products industry came together in an earth-friendly joint venture that has the capacity to turn what was once an environmentally friendly specialty product, cellulose-based recycled newsprint, into a major competitor in building products. Dennis Barineau, GreenFiber’s president, says, “As we go into the future, people are going to make choices about products that are sustainable. We think we’re well positioned compared with our competitors.” The product is called GreenFiber Cocoon Insulation.

What is GreenFiber Cocoon Insulation and why should you use it?
It is 85% recycled paper fiber, mostly recovered from consumer content; the other 15% are additives for fire resistance. This eco-friendly product is beneficial to you, the homeowner, by reducing drafts, suppressing noise, lowering energy consumption, providing fire resistance, and increasing resale value of your home. It uses natural, safe, recycled products and its performance is guaranteed.

Is GreenFiber Insulation hard for a homeowner to install?
Installing is not nearly as difficult as installing fiberglass. There are no rolls; there is no measuring, no cutting, and no pushing of prickly, abrasive fiberglass into tight spots. With GreenFiber, the coverage chart on the bag shows you how to calculate the amount needed to achieve the proper R-Value. The process involves only two people for installation: one to place the product into the blowing machine, and one to blow the insulation to the desired thickness. The loose-fill cellulose can be used in the attic, added over existing insulation for additional R-value, or professionally installed for high-efficient thermal protection of your entire home.

Will cellulose insulation cost more than fiberglass?
From every source of information I could gather, it seems that it is most cost effective, giving you the best value for your money. In the way of savings in energy bills alone, it will pay for itself month after month. It carries the Energy Star logo, so you know that this product is designed to conserve energy.

Will it burn?
According to GreenFiber, it has a Class 1/A fire rating as set by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. I watched a video of a 1998 Large Scale Outdoor Fire Demonstration conducted by the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute, proving cellulose insulation increased fire resistance by as much as 57% over fiberglass.

I found this product to be amazing and impressive. This is one company that has taken the seriousness of becoming eco-friendly and conserving our natural resources to heart. Not only has it proven its worth in doing so, it has made itself consumer friendly as well.

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“I’m just wondering if you can use MDF as a paneling type? What I mean is can you use it like you would use drywall? If so, what would you use to putty between the seams and fill in the nail holes?”

Dear Danielle,

You may be able to use MDF in place of drywall, although there are a few things to consider. First off, building codes require that panels thinner than 1/4″ be backed with a non-combustible material (i.e., drywall, gypsum wallboard). Much depends on which MDF material you are using. Oftentimes, decorative MDF wall panels do not meet these codes. Even if you are using (as I imagine you are) thicker, 4′x8′ panels, fire safety is something to think about. That being said, MDF is often powder-coated to protect against fire; you’ll need to know your product’s history.

As for installation, decorative MDF is usually made with a tongue-and-groove or “lap” design, meaning you shouldn’t have to caulk or putty seams. However, unfinished MDF sheets will need some work. You should leave a small gap (1/16”) between panels. You can fill these with a painter’s putty or caulking. Note that, should you use caulk, you will need latex acrylic caulk plus silicone. The silicone will give the caulk more flexibility and strength as the panels dry and shrink up. Also, be sure to prime MDF before painting.

Finally, when painting MDF, it is easy to leave noticeable streaks and brush lines, possibly resulting in a good deal of sanding. Also, MDF should not be used in bathrooms and other high-moisture or humid areas.

Hope this helps and thanks for writing in!

Do you have questions you would like us to answer? Add your questions here.

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In an effort to promote the sustainability of natural stone products, the Natural Stone Council has released an environmental survey of the natural stone industry. The NSC, an organization made up of trade and business associations that promote Genuine Stone over synthetic materials, completed the survey to analyze quarries and processing operations and their impact on the life cycle of the materials that end up as your countertops, floors, and other applications in and out of the home.

The survey addressed all types of stone, including sandstone and marble, but was dominated by limestone and granite, the two leading sectors of the industry. The NSC received answers from over 40 companies comprising 64 quarries and 45 processing plants. They hope to advertise natural stone as an eco-friendly option for homeowners. Granite, our favorite countertop stone, has long been a topic of debate, for both its health and environmental impacts. But this survey hopes to garner an all-encompassing A-plus, or at least form a solid groundwork for getting there, for natural materials in the face of synthetic materials, such as recycled countertops, that carry a green label and have been popular in the green building movement.

There are several areas that the NSC survey focused on, including:

1. Water consumption and reclamation
2. Site maintenance
3. Quarry closure
4. Transportation distance of stone

The NSC has partnered with the Center for Clean Products at the University of Tennessee to analyze the lifecycle of its products. Now, with the completion of this Environmental Benchmarking Assessment Survey, the NSC has data in hand and plans to release several different reports regarding areas where the industry is both succeeding and in need of improvement. These will come in the form of best practices, material fact sheets, and case studies.

It’s nice to see another industry making an attempt at improving its environmental impact and further illustrates the power of the movement toward sustainable building practices. It is, however, impossible to call this an independent survey, so we’ll have to keep a close eye on the results and likely claims made by the industry. Still, this is a big step and promises to offer homeowners a good resource when making ever-important decisions about their remodels. The first versions of the initial life-cycle data on the variety of natural stones are available at GenuineStone.com.

Links:

• Stone World
• Kitchen and Bath Business

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