Until my new app for apps is available for download, here are the top 6 best home improvement-related apps that are to DIY for.

1. The iHandy Carpenter – On second thought, maybe you can junk the tool belt with this amazing app that contains five separate carpentry tools that work with the landscape mode of your iphone and includes a surface level, bubble bar, protractor and ruler. When calibrated, the plum bob, level bar and surface level can work together to create a clinometer that both reads precise angles and scores a ten on the cool-o-meter.
2. Sherwin-Williams ColorSnap app – Take a picture of the sofa you want to match and this app will search and find the closest Sherwin-Williams paint color. You’ll never have to leaf through endless color samples or be at the mercy of crabby paint store clerks again. Benjamin Moore has a similar app coming out soon, but sorry Ben, you’re a little late to the dance on this one.
3. Handyman Sidekick app – Leave your know-it-all brother-in-law at home and take your new sidekick to Home Depot, where this handy app works as a multi-purpose calculator that converts and saves units of measurement. You can calculate how many gallons of paint or rolls of wallpaper you’ll need to cover the bedroom, or how much grass seed or concrete you’ll need to convert that dirt farm you’ve been tending in your back yard. Plus, you don’t have to listen to it rattle on endlessly about the pluses and minuses of Kentucky Blue versus Creeping Fescue.
4. Builders Formulator Calculator app – This app will set you back $10, but with over 200 formulas at your fingertips, the time and money you’ll save by not forgetting to carry the three will pay back times ten. Formulas for heating, concrete, piping, carpentry, excavating and area calculations are just the beginning of what this bad boy can do. It can even calculate heat loss and cooling requirements, and that’s a breath of fresh air (which it can calculate, too).
5. Home Improvement Store Finder – This one sounds a little on the “duh” side of the spectrum, but have you ever tried to find the nearest Home Depot in Fresno, when you don’t Fres-know? Also gives you a quick phone number too, so if one store doesn’t have the faucet model you saw online, maybe another store across town can keep that dream alive.
6. INewz Green app – This app comes in handy during the inevitable lull in the action when you’re waiting for the primer to dry or your Brother-in-Law to show up with the Shopvac. You can browse for hours through articles and blogs on green-related topics, such as design, energy, science, technology and transportation. Warning: productivity may suffer.

Photo Credits: Mozami, AppShouter, Cool Hunting, TopTen Reviews, & apptism

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1. Shop early for the widest selection and late for the best bargains.
2. Pick up what you want and, if it’s too big, let someone know to hold it for you. Otherwise, you may go home empty-handed and sad-faced.
3. Know what you’re going to do with the purchase so you don’t end up with a garage full of stuff for your own yard sale – unless that’s actually your goal.
4. Ask, ask, ask, “Is this your best price?” or “Will you take $25 instead of $50?” It’s a yard sale!
5. Think, REDO! Ask yourself, “If that table was stripped and refinished, would it fit in the living room?” Or, “If I painted it blue, would it look amazing by my bed?”

Don’t take an item at face value. Old furniture just needs a little love. Look beyond its dingy, peeling surface and see the creative potential there. Here are some buyers who did just that and ended up with more than they bargained for.

NOW and then:

And sometimes, there are a lot of “thens.” This pile of debris inspired its designer to THINK a little harder than most. But, man-oh-man, was the brainstorming worth it. Look at the NOW. One creative gentleman turned this pile of discarded furniture scraps into a one-of-a-kind asymmetrical piece of furniture for his daughter.

And as a final bargaining tip from BetterBudgeting.com, “If you have an expensive car, use a different one for garage sales. If you drive up in an expensive car, or wear flashy jewelry and fine furs, there goes any leverage for negotiating.”

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How Cool is Your Roommate?

If your roommate’s willing, you can plan your theme and colors together, tackle the shopping in one trip, and split the costs equally. It’s infinitely more fun this way and your decor won’t clash.

Bedding

Since the bed is your biggest piece of furniture, you’ll end up using it as a study area, couch, dining room, and coffee table. A bold solid color can serve as a catalyst for the rest of the room’s decor.

Throw pillows

Adorn the bed with comfy, printed pillows that speak to your own personality. If you’re pressed for cash, buy remnants from a fabric store and hand-stitch the seams. Deep jewel tones or soft vintage fabric will complement any theme.

Decorating

• Hang decorative curtains to mask the cold metal mini-blinds and add warmth to the room.
• Pictures, prints, posters and tapestries are a quick and easy way to add personality to the room. Go with stately, larger prints instead of small, scattered collages that clutter your walls.
• Nature loves you. Plant some leafy, green friends in clay pots that you and your roommate can paint together.
• Drape strings of colorful bistro lights along the wall (as close to the ceiling as possible).
• Keep a bright cotton throw at the foot of each bed.
• Hang a decorative mirror behind the front door.
• Find a cool bookcase at a garage sale or consignment shop for textbooks and pictures. Or make your own bookcase with cinder blocks and wood planks and paint it any style you’d like.
• Add a couple of sweet bean bag chairs.
• Hang a chalkboard and draw fun pictures. Your friends can leave you drunken love notes – always funny to read later.
• Set a decorative floor lamp in a corner – it’ll bounce light off the ceiling and give your room a beautiful glow.
• Floor cushions are a fun way to add color and texture and they make a room more inviting for guests to sit down.

Storage

• Keep storage units as discreet as possible. Look for multi-functional items, such as Under Bed boxes, that can be tucked away out of sight. For increased storage, raise your bed with cement blocks.
• Closet organizers are a life saver. You can never have enough plastic hooks for hanging purses and belts.
• Plastic storage drawers are just as handy for storing dishes, glasses, utensils, and food.
• Stackable plastic crates are your new best friends. Use them for almost anything, from standing as a small table to doubling as additional seating. They come in a variety of colors, making it easy to match your color theme.

Creating more space

• Bunk the beds, if possible.
• Move the dressers into the closets.
• Push the desks back-to-back.

If you have any money left…

Go crazy and buy a 19” color TV and a new iPod-compatible stereo.

Related Links:

Typical dorm:

http://permianbasin360.com/media/jpg/DormRoom2008-09-05-1220643435.jpg

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Door Repair – Go to doitbest.com for great hardware of all types. They’re the self-proclaimed world’s largest hardware store and they have everything you need to install a new door or repair the old one. They have great hinges, levers, door knobs, thresholds, bolts and screws. Order online and get free shipping.

Photo Credit: The Home Depot

Ryobi 18V Canister Vacuum – It’s listed at Home Depot for $49.97 and has a customer rating of 4 out of 5 stars. The wet/dry cleaner has a detachable blower for easy control and quicker results. It also comes with available storage for accessories and an easy-pour spout for trouble-free cleaning. The Roybi is a lighter vacuum and isn’t meant for industrial sized jobs, but it’s great for lighter cleaning duty.

Black and Decker VPX 7V Cordless Drill – For a cordless drill, the PVX 7V from Black and Decker is a steal. It gets a five-star rating from customers and scores high marks in its power and battery length. The cordless isn’t for industrial use either, but gets everything done around the house. If you’re willing to spend more, the Makita 18V Compact is one of the best drills on the market. The cost is $189.99, but customers say the power is fierce and the batteries last forever.

Photo Credit: The Home Depot

Black and Decker 3-Position Screwdriver – This highly rated tool is great for drilling screws in those hard to reach areas. Getting behind sinks and underneath countertops can be a hassle, but the Black and Decker 3-Position is versatile enough to help you out. Users are very pleased with its value and ability to work in tight places. The rechargeable screwdriver is priced at $19.99 online at Home Depot.

Rope and Cordage – Also available at doitbest.com is a wide selection of recycled rope and other reusable twine or cordage. The prices range from $1.79 all the way up to $329. If you’re making a long haul to the junk yard or work in construction, rope & twine is always great to have around.

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House inspections can be costly and, even though you should always get an inspection once you start escrow, you sure don’t want to pay for one if the house has serious problems. Save the inspection for the good prospects and know how to weed out the bad ones.

Photo Credit: iLoveButter

The Telling Signs:

• Check the roof out on all sides. Look for missing tiles or shingles and signs of aging. A new roof can be very expensive and, although you’ll get a roof inspection during escrow, this will help you determine whether or not the house is worth the effort.
• Stand back and look at the exterior walls of the house to check for soundness. The walls should be flat. Look for cracks at the corners of windows – this is a sign of foundation problems.
• Check all interior walls to make sure they’re not bowed or squared at the corners.
• Walk around the entire floor instead of just passing through. Carpet can hide holes and recesses that your inspector may not catch. Jump in the center of the living room floor – if it feels solid, that’s good news, but if it flexes, it’s a major problem.
• Look for water damage. Does the house have gutters? If so, do the downspouts drain away from the house or into the foundation or basement? The ground should slope away from the foundation.
• Here’s one that most people forget about, but it’s super important – check the water pressure in the toilets and sinks.
• Check the main circuit breaker for proper amps – if it doesn’t have at least 100 amps, the system probably won’t be sufficient. If the electrical system is a knob and tube system, like my house, you might be denied insurance coverage because of the increased fire risk. Homes built from 1880 to the 1930’s commonly used knob & tube.
• Another insurance issue, meaning you may be denied coverage, is the piping. Check the pipes that lead from the water heater to the fixtures. If they aren’t copper, you may not get hazard insurance.
• Check the air conditioner and vents to make sure the A/C unit is appropriate for the size of the home and that all rooms have heat & air.
• Don’t forget the little stuff – check the workmanship in molding, tile work, baseboards, and cabinets. Check the quality of the sinks, tubs/showers and fixtures, dishwasher, stove and oven. Check all the windows to make sure they slide easily – are they single or double pane?

Print this checklist and use it for every prospective house you look at.

Happy house hunting!

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If you’re anything like me, you love to love your furniture — even long after its era of trendiness has passed. The great thing is that you don’t have to kick your couch to the curb. No ousting the ottoman. Don’t even think about stashing the stools. There are several ways in which you can spruce up old furniture to give it a new reputation in your home.

Slip covers are very handy, but many of them come in only drab colors and styles and only if you were born under a lucky star can you find one that actually fits your piece of furniture properly, unless you’re willing to shell out lots of shiny pennies for a custom-made cover. An afternoon of craftiness can alter any slip cover to fit your misfit and make it look like the two were made for each other.

Try to find the slip cover that best fits your couch, love seat, or chair, and go ahead and slip it on. Match up the seams in the cover with the corners and folds in the furniture. If there are places where the fabric sags, gather it up into a swag or pleat and sew or glue an embellishment to the area. You can apply bows, tassels, beads, or buttons.

To make the slip cover pop and give it some character, you could add piping to the seams, sew on colorful buttons, add a lacy or beaded trim to the bottom edges, or even dye the fabric a bold new color.

If you’re crafty enough, you can even use a bed sheet or thin blanket to cover your furniture with; just be sure it’s large enough to go around everything. You can bunch, pleat and gather these up cleverly, too, and make a very stylish one-of-a-kind piece.

Typically when recovering a piece of furniture it’s not the cushions that are so difficult to envelop, it’s the rest of the piece, so why not just go with what’s easiest? Recovering just the cushions with a fabric that complements the rest of your piece can be a great way to add whimsy or shabby chic to your furniture. Mixing and matching can be lots of fun and give your room more of an arts and crafts feel.

If recovering your pieces just isn’t something you’re into, you can always go with accent pieces like throw pillows or blankets to draw the eye to new and exciting bits of color and texture.

One of my favorite ways to reclaim a chair (not surprisingly, also one of the easiest methods) is with pleather and thumb tacks. This is especially great to do with stools. All you have to do is get a piece of plastic/vinyl leather (or it could really be any other type of upholstery fabric) and some old fashioned thumb tacks. Make sure the tacks are the type that are rounded across the top – nothing with sharp edges, corners, or shapes that really protrude. Cover the seat with the fabric (it helps if you have an extra pair of helping hands) and as you pull it taut push the thumb tacks into the wooden frame. Be sure to keep the tacks right up against one another or they won’t look right. It’s ok if you have a small gap in the end, just be sure to plan ahead so that the gap will be facing the rear of the piece.

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Many a-time, while attempting to do household carpentry work, I thought I had made precise measurements, right down to the millimeter. Only to find out these spot-on calculations were not so accurate. And predictably, what followed was the raised fist and a string of expletives a mile long.

Okay, so I committed the cardinal sin of carpentry, the whopper of woodworking. When it comes to measuring, taking the easy way out will come back to bite you.

The first rule is to double check your work, and even triple check it if necessary. Measure twice and cut once, as they say.

We all know getting the right measurements is important in any DIY project. Whether installing new windows, calculating flooring materials, or gathering enough roofing supplies, it all requires accurate measuring. The pros already know this saves time and money. Follow these measuring tips to achieve more precise home improvement projects.

Figure Out Square Footage

You want to know how much flooring material is needed to cover the existing floor. All you have to do is find the longest section of the room and multiple it by the width of room. For example, let’s say the room is 20 ft. in length and 10 ft. in width. This means you multiply length by width. Therefore the square footage of the room would equal 200.

Measuring Windows

Whether the windows are arched or standard casing windows, all measurements should be taken from inside the window frame. It’s also recommended that you use only a steel measuring tape, avoid cloth measuring strips, and never use a ruler. When picking out new windows, you may get asked about the dimensions of the inside mount. The inside mount is referring to the bottom width and center vertical height from inside an arched window frame. If you have arched windows, this calculation is very important to get right.

Calculating Roofing Supplies

The basic idea is to measure the roof’s length and then multiple it by its height. To make this easier, break it down into smaller sections. Start measuring height and length until the entire roof’s statistical data is accounted for. I strongly recommend drawing an overhead diagram of the roof. This will help organize the measurements more accurately. Use a color coded system to indicate length and height of different roof sections. To figure out the square footage of each section multiple the length by height and then divide the answer by two. This will give you square footage for that particular section. For the entire roof, add all the measurements up and divide by 100. This will give you total square footage for the whole roofing project. I recommend going to roofhelp.com for a step-by-step tutorial.

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Little by little, I’ve been setting my dryer to fewer minutes per load or reducing the temperature to save energy, but the fact is that I could probably do without the dryer completely if I just had a clothesline outside. To be fair, I actually DO have a clothesline, but it’s neatly coiled in its packaging, having never been opened since my husband bought it for me a year ago. Guess he thought I’d be so thrilled to have it that I would figure out how (and where) to install it. He thought wrong.

I guess my holdback is that I don’t really want a big line permanently strung from one point in my yard to another out in plain sight and putting it between two trees in the wooded part of our property kind of defeats the purpose of hanging your clothes in the sun.

A little research, though, and there are some great ideas floating around out there for putting up laundry lines in a more creative way.

One woman figured out that the baby gate she no longer needed but never parted with made an excellent hanging rack. She secured it to the roof over her deck with a couple of bungee cords so that it hung flat overhead. When she has a load of laundry to dry, she puts the items on hangers and hooks the hangers onto the grid of the gate. What I love about this is that when there’s no laundry on the line, you can easily take the entire system down in seconds flat.

Another clever mom used the support beams holding up her deck to hold up her laundry line. She screwed some cleats into the beams and tied the lines to them and now hangs her laundry on the lines hanging under her deck. Luckily her deck is high enough off the ground that the underside still gets plenty of sun during the day.

Both of these solutions are very creative but they also solve another laundry line problem — bad weather days. By having the lines hung under the deck or under the roof, you can still hang clothes out to dry when it rains – it may still take a little longer than normal, but at least your load won’t be getting wetter instead of dryer.

Lastly, just a thought on my part and this is a win/win for both mom and dad. Get dad to buy a netted hammock and have him find a nice partially sunny/partially shady place to hang it (encourage him to hang it a little higher than normal). Then when he’s not using it, you can hook hangers of wet laundry to the under side of the netting.

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Lazy summer days were made for relaxing on the swing or taking a snooze in the hammock. But then again, that could be just for kids and dad. The porch might also be the perfect place for a suspended garden oasis, a season of colors and sweet fragrances. No matter how you look at it, summer is the perfect time to enjoy the outdoors. Whether it’s resting in the hammock or shootin’ the breeze on the veranda. Summer is about kicking back and enjoying the season.

Installing a Porch Swing

There are a couple ways to approach this project. The most popular way to install a hanging swing is on the porch. But not all porch ceilings are built the same. Make sure the joists can hold the weight of the swing and the occupants before moving forward. If you’re not sure about the strength of the ceiling, have a carpenter check it out. Once you’ve determined the ceiling is strong enough, start by drilling pilot holes into the beam. Screw in eyebolts or large hooks and then hang your chain. You’ll need about three feet of clearance behind the swing so it doesn’t crash into the house or wall. Other options include hanging the swing from a sturdy tree limb or from a standard A-frame swing kit.

Installing a Hammock

Photo credit: ArchiExpo

There are many different hammocks in the world, some come with their own stand and are easily assembled, while others rely on rope to secure it between two hardy trees. Still others attach to hooks and are strung between posts cemented in the ground. A rope hammock can hang anywhere but it’s best suited between two mature trees. Make sure these trees are at least 12 inches around, and sturdy enough to hold a fair amount of weight. Once you’ve found suitable trees and laid out the hammock between the trees or posts, you’ll need an extra foot of rope on both ends, to wrap around the trees. In addition to the extra rope, make sure the hammock has a minimum of five feet on both sides to swing freely. To finish hanging the hammock, drill starter holes in to the trees and then tighten your hooks and hardware. Try a stress test by pressing most of your weight on the hammock; if it holds get on board and take a few swings.

Hanging Plants

Photo credit: Sister72
This project isn’t nearly as complicated as the swing or hammock, but it can be just as rewarding. Screw in hooks to the ceiling beams and then attach your baskets. A common mistake is not gauging the amount of sun these baskets will receive. It’s either too much or not enough. If plants and flowers don’t get enough sunlight, they search for it. They get spindly or leggy or they won’t flower. Plants and flowers that do well in partial shade are Fuchsia, Impatiens, Mimulus, and Begonias. Their counterparts are full sunflowers and plant varieties such as Nemesia, Marigolds, Zinnia, Verbena, and Petunias. They enjoy 6 to 8 hours in the full sun. Deadheading the spent blossoms can be done at your own discretion and trimming overgrowth will keep the basket symmetrical. You may also notice that certain plants begin to dominate the scene; if you loose one or two varieties it’s okay, the rest should move in and fill the gap.

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“We have put cypress walls in our home and I need to know what to put in between the boards to fill the cracks. We have been told that this wood breathes and to use something that stays elastic, otherwise it will crack. I hope you can help me.”

Answer:

I do believe we can help. This question is not as difficult as it may seem. The main problem for most people is that we just don’t know that much about cypress. So first a bit on the wood itself.

Although typically grouped with hardwoods, cypress is actually a softwood, one of only two conifers that shed their leaves every year. It’s native to swampy areas from Delaware and follows the coastline through Florida to Texas’ gulf shores and the other wet regions of the South. If cypress is rare it is in large part because the swamps that it calls home can be very hard to get to.

Cypress is very durable and rot resistant thanks to oils in its heartwood, which make it a classic choice in exterior siding, shutters, shingles, trim, and fence posts. In addition to paneling, cypress’ interior applications include molding, cabinetry, flooring, and furniture. Cypress sapwood has a pale yellow color while the heartwood varies from light to dark brown. It typically comes from the lumberyard in 4″ to 12″ wide boards.

In terms of interior wall claddings, cypress panels are usually tongue-and-groove or shiplap design. Like other wood products, cypress paneling will certainly “breathe”, or expand and contract, as temperature and humidity change. In most cases, caulking shouldn’t be necessary for interior applications (unless painting) where temperature fluctuates much less than outside, especially if the wood is acclimated prior to installation.

However, as is the case for our reader, caulking may be necessary, especially if in a bathroom, kitchen, or other area where moisture is oft present. For cypress, on interior or exterior surfaces, you should use a high grade, non-hardening acrylic caulk or its equal. You can actually look at a tube of caulk on the hardware store shelf and look for a number, i.e. 10-year or 20-year. That number represents how long the caulk should hold before losing its elasticity. Do not expect the caulk to actually last that long but it does present an easy guide — the higher the number the better.

Photo credit: Bayou Cypress

Colored caulks are also available that can closely match the color of the wood. Again, the most important factor is flexibility. Silicone caulks are highly flexible and weather resistant but are usually not paintable. Manufacturers however make “silicone-ized” caulk that sometimes may be painted with water or oil-based paints. A good and simple rule of thumb is to read the label on the caulk carefully to make sure that it fits your particular application. As rare and beautiful as cypress is, it does not act too differently than most other softwoods.

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