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Friday, 21 November 2008 06:01 |
A garage workbench is an essential piece of equipment in any home workshop. A workbench will allow you to complete projects easily and with greater accuracy. A variety of pre made workbenches are available to fit your needs. If you prefer, you can make your own workbench, either with a kit or from a plan.
Choosing a garage workbench
Workbenches are available in a wide variety of sizes and styles. Benches are great for woodworking, crafts and other household projects. You can purchase a bench at most home improvement stores. Another option is to build your own bench. You can find plans in books and on the internet with instructions to create the perfect bench to suit your needs.
A table style workbench is made of heavy duty materials to stand up to regular use. Most models have a hardwood top with metal legs. Table tops can also be made of steel. These resemble a typical table shape with nothing underneath.
Cabinet style benches have drawers or cabinets in the space under the table top. This is great for utilizing otherwise wasted space. This method allows for additional storage space. Some have a pegboard backing that is perfect for hanging hand tools. You wonÂ’t need to dig through drawers or a tool box to find what you need.
A power strip bench is a good choice if you use power tools often. These come with up to nine outlets in a strip with a heavy duty power cord. They also have current protection to prevent overload. These can be either six or eight foot benches. Some have a tool caddy to hold smaller tools.
Build Your Own Workbench
Consider building your own bench to get exactly what you want. Kits are available with everything you need to create your bench. Instructions and materials are included with the kit. With this method, you will be limited to the kitÂ’s design. The benefit is that all pieces are pre cut. You wonÂ’t need to worry about uneven cuts.
You can build your own bench and purchase all the materials. This method is a bit more complicated, but you have more control about the final outcome. Free workbench plans are available on the internet with detailed instructions for you to follow. Cut the plywood according to the directions and be sure to make your cuts straight.
For best results, choose good quality wood, oak or a hardwood plywood is an excellent choice. Use several coats of polyurethane to protect the top of the bench. Be sure to sand between each coat. A good urethane coating makes messes easier to clean up when working on projects later.
Organizing and Making Room in your Garage
You will need to organize your garage and create storage space to make room for workbenches. Determine what you need to store. Start with a good clean out and get rid of things you donÂ’t need. Throw away old paint and other junk. Give away or donate old items, tools or other things that are too good to throw away, but that you donÂ’t need any more.
The walls of your garage offer great opportunities for storage space. Cabinets are great for organizing clutter. High cabinets are good for storing chemicals and paints. Sharp items can be put up high to keep them away from children. Consider locks if you have young children. Locker cabinets are perfect for larger items. Drawers are good for organizing tools, fishing equipment and other small items.
Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com
Jack Blacksmith writes for www.inside-woodworking.com . He helps people on topics from a simple garage workbench to entire workshop organisation.
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Friday, 21 November 2008 13:00 |
Vinyl shutters are durable and improve the look of your home. In many cases, they can actually add to the value of the home. They are easy to install and make a great do it yourself project. If you prefer not to do the job, you can hire a professional at a reasonable price. The job doesnÂ’t take very long, so you wonÂ’t pay a fortune in labor.
Shutters come in a variety of sizes and styles. You can find them in any home improvement center, such as Home Depot or LoweÂ’s. These companies can offer advice to the do it yourself homeowner or can arrange for professional installation.
Benefits of Shutters made of Vinyl
Vinyl is less expensive than wood shutters and they last longer. Wood has a tendency to crack and split over time. In addition, the paint fades and peels. For this reason, they need to be repainted every few years to keep them in new condition. This is labor intensive and adds to the overall cost. Vinyl is easier to clean and require very little maintenance. Just wipe them down with a damp rag to clean.
Vinyl is a better choice for humid climates or moist locations. This includes humid weather and outdoor pool or hot tub areas. The moisture in these areas can cause warping and swelling in wooden shutters over time. If you have an outdoor pool area, you can prevent this by installing vinyl.
Choosing the Right Shutters
There are several styles in vinyl or PVC shutters. Some can be closed to act as hurricane shutters. These are intended to protect your home in the event of a storm. Most are fixed and canÂ’t be closed. These are merely for decoration. They come in a wide variety of colors and styles to suit the taste of every homeowner. You may decide to match the color to the color of curtains and window blinds or to the exterior of your home.
Some styles have a wooden look that mimics natural grains. Others are smooth and less opaque. The style of your home and your personal preference will help you choose the best style for your home. Regardless of the style you choose, be sure the shutters are made with outdoor grade vinyl. This material is stronger and more durable. It will stand up better to the weather.
Installing Vinyl Shutters
Installing shutters is a good DIY home improvement project. With a little skill, the job should take about a half an hour per window. Instructions and mounting clips are usually included with the shutters.
Materials Needed:
Shutters
Fasteners
Instructions
Screwdriver
Drill
Tape measure
Pencil or pen for marking
Safety goggles
The basic procedure calls for drilling holes into the wall of your home and securing the shutters with fasteners that are pushed through these holes. You are drilling through the shutters and into the wall. The other method uses fasteners that are attached to the exterior wall of your home. The shutters are then clipped into place. The hardware doesnÂ’t show on the front of the shutters.
Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com
Jack Blacksmith distributes often to www.shades-blinds-shutters-guide.com an online guide. He is writing on subjects like vinyl shutters and windows blinds.
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Thursday, 20 November 2008 00:01 |
This last year has seen a large increase in the number of people having natural stone, marble, granite, limestone, sandstone or slate fitted into their homes either as work surfaces or as flooring. No man made product can rival the beauty of well presented natural stone with its myriad of colours and patterns which are unique to your individual stone.
With this increased interest in returning to natural stone products has come an avalanche of products to clean, shine and seal the stones. Importers, tile retailers, builders and chemical firms have all jumped on the band wagon and see big profits in natural stone. Unfortunately it would seem that very few of these companies have any understanding of the products they are selling or fitting or advising customers to purchase.
In the past most of our work was concerned with restoring old marble, granite or limestone but increasingly we are getting called out to deal with brand new tiles which have developed problems.
Some of these problems are;
· Tiles being laid so that there is significant lippage between them
· Grouting gaps being too large
· Tiles smeared with grout after sealing
· Incorrect sealant being used
· Acrylic sealants being applied
· Polish or wax being applied to the surface
· Marble and limestone being used in kitchens
· Slate being used in showers
· Not sealing the stone
· Applying a seal and then assuming that it is now protected from all possible sources of damage
· Discolouring of the tiles because sealant is left on the surface
· Use of acidic cleaners in the builders clean
· Poor or non existent care and maintenance programmes provided to the client
How do you ensure you are not left with a big bill after the builders have moved out?
· Buy your tiles from a supplier that provides good advice and has an installation service,
· Research the topic prior to purchase so that you can ask pertinent questions. If you get suspect or glib answers walk away and shop elsewhere
· Do not simply go for the cheapest, they may prove to more expensive in the long run
· If possible retain some of the money until the job is completed to your satisfaction. That way if there is a problem you can insist on it being rectified.
Your biggest protection is to get acquainted with the properties of natural stone and its care and maintenance before setting out to purchase your preferred stone type. You can do this by carrying out the appropriate search on the Web.
Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com
David Andrew Smith is the owner of a cleaning services company which specialises in the care and maintenance of natural stone and operate throughout the UK
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