calfinder's blog

Home Remodeling Books – A Wealth of Practical Info

Posted Fri, 04/24/2009 - 21:48 by calfinder

Books about the home and home remodeling are available by the thousands. How do you know where to start when you want to add to your library? Whether you’re in the business of homes, or it’s your favorite hobby or dream business for “someday/maybe,” you’re probably always on the lookout for new sources of inspiration. Books are guaranteed to fit that bill.
Unless you know exactly what you’re looking for, conducting a search is easier if you know some basic categories to check out to get you started. A few of these are:

  • Brand new releases on hot industry topics
  • Classic how-to and reference guides
  • Design-oriented books with great visuals
  • Project-specific guides

10 Reasons Why Smaller Is Better

Posted Wed, 02/18/2009 - 22:09 by calfinder

Most of the discussion around small spaces revolves around how we can deal with them. Too often we miss the point that in many ways small spaces are better. It's an idea that can be hard to wrap a brain around considering the common American ideals of luxury and largesse.
Those times are changing, however, as a new generation of homebuyers opts for 'smaller is better' rather than 'size matters.' And it turns out that there are plenty of good reasons why small home spaces are more appealing. Here are just ten:

Energy Efficiency and the Stove 

Posted Wed, 12/31/2008 - 20:01 by calfinder

Energy efficiency is always important on the stove or in the oven. In winter, energy costs are higher and those wasted BTUs really start to add up. In the summer, heating costs may be lower, but careless cooking results in wasted heat, which fills the home and causes the cooling system to work harder. Gas or electric, your stove is vital to energy efficiency. For exact information be sure to consult with a kitchen contractor, however there are ways you can cut your energy usage by as much as half and they will cost you nothing.

On the Stove

  • Using the correctly sized pan is essential: a six-inch pan on an eight-inch burner results in a lot of wasted heat. Also, don't use a 10-inch skillet to fry one egg. Pare things down as much as possible. Make an effort to use only as much heat as you need.
  • Use lids when boiling water and other liquids. This traps heat in and boils the water faster. This will also keep your kitchen cooler.
  • Turn the heat off early whenever possible. The remaining heat in the pan will finish the job, especially with cast iron skillets. Use hard boiled eggs as an example; as soon as the water comes to boil, turn off the heat and cover for at least 15 minutes. In that span of time the eggs will be hard-boiled and you will have used roughly half the energy.

In the Oven

Enemies of Your Hardwood Flooring

Posted Tue, 12/16/2008 - 23:24 by calfinder

Hardwood flooring is a prize for most homeowners. It is versatile -- accenting both traditional and modern home designs -- and eco-friendly flooring as well. But like any prize, it deserves some special care. Even more so for hardwood flooring, which has several enemies that can do damage over time. Hardwood floors are a durable flooring option, but are by no means infallible. Knowing your enemies, and preventing their subtle takeover will guarantee a long and lustrous life from your hardwoods.

Water is hardwood's biggest enemy. It is the enemy of any wood surface. If you've ever had a water leak you know how crafty water is at getting into nooks and crannies, causing warping, rot, and a loss of luster. The key to water control is

5 Quick Home Repairs

Posted Wed, 09/10/2008 - 18:43 by calfinder

Most of us lead very busy lifestyles these days. We struggle to balance work and family, not to mention home maintenance. In the face of such a daunting schedule it is easy to let home repairs pile up until you end up inundated with feelings of helplessness. But there's no reason to let it get that far. Believe it or not, many home repairs are easier than you think and can be done quicker than you know. Here's a list of five repairs that you can do in 30 minutes or less:

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