Sunspace Orientation And Glazing Angles
The angle of the sunspace glazing is the next most important consideration for solar heat gain and the overall performance of the sunspace. Sunlight most efficiently passes through glazing positioned at a right angle to the sun's rays. Obviously ... [... more]
Bob Vila |
Accessible Solutions: Multi-Floor Access
Residential elevators can provide wheelchair access to a second floor or basement or to both levels with a total vertical rise up to 50'. Residential elevators are either cable operated or hydraulically powered and travel on a single side-mounted ... [... more]
Bob Vila |
Lp Smartstart Smartlap Siding
As Probst explained, "We've taken aspen wafers, which as they fall to the mat in the manufacturing process are oriented perpendicular to each other in up to five layers, and treated them with our SmartGuard process, a zinc borate, to make them ... [... more]
Bob Vila |
Creating And Maintaining A Stucco Exterior
Depending on the size of the job, a complete stucco finish can be applied in one day, but stucco’s curing and strengthening process can take up to 28 days. "Portland cement gains strength over the first 28 days," says Collins. It can also gain . ... [... more]
Bob Vila |
Wood Siding Options
Cedar is known for its grain and its rot resistance. It is straight, and resists splitting. Cedar takes a stain well and reveals a rich character. It is commonly used in shakes and shingles because it is dimensionally stable, resists swelling, ... [... more]
Bob Vila |
Stairbuilding Basics
You'll need two or three pieces of 2x10 lumber for your stair stringers, depending on the width of the treads. (Codes usually require stairs over 30-inches wide to be supported by three stringers.) Use a two-foot framing square to mark the steps ... [... more]
Bob Vila |
Passive Solar Design For The Home
The term thermal capacitance refers to the ability of materials to store heat, and thermal mass refers to the materials that store heat. Thermal mass stores heat by changing its temperature. This can be from a warm room or by converting direct ... [... more]
Bob Vila |
Cleaning And Repainting Wood Siding
After the surface has been cleaned and the damaged paint removed, check the condition of the exterior wood. Damaged areas need to be fixed or replaced. Decayed wood that is soft or spongy will never hold paint and should be replaced. For small ... [... more]
Bob Vila |
Protecting Your Home From Job Site Theft
Durwin Sauer, owner of Cutting Edge Carpentry in Des Moines, Iowa, adopted nearly all of these practices after thieves cleaned out his tools and equipment in two separate burglaries in the summer of 2007. He now uses job site lock boxes to secure ... [... more]
Bob Vila |
Timers And Sensors For Home Security
A sensor is a device that receives and responds to a signal or stimulus. A photosensor is a light-detecting device that operates a luminaire or light fixture when the surrounding light level drops. Photosensors are often used for exterior and ... [... more]
Bob Vila |
What Is Asbestos?
Asbestos is not always an immediate hazard. In fact, if asbestos can be maintained in good condition, it is recommended that it be left alone and periodic surveillance performed to monitor its condition. It is only when asbestos containing ... [... more]
Bob Vila |
Installing The Speed-Rail®
Bob and Ryley selected Speed-Rail® from Hollaender for the loft stairs handrail for the Dream Garage. With its slip-on design Speed-Rail® allows ease of assembly with few tools and minimum installer skill levels. There are no bolts, nuts, ... [... more]
Bob Vila |
