Kitchen Remodeling - Flooring

If you want to give your kitchen a fresh, new look, changing out the flooring can make a huge difference. The great thing about changing flooring is that you can replace it at any time. In other words, it can be a stand-alone project or something you do as a part of changing the entire kitchen. Regardless, your kitchen will look amazing and the value of your home will benefit.

In most cases, a new floor can be placed over an old floor as long as the sub-flooring is in good condition. Just keep in mind that if the flooring will be connecting to other rooms, there would be issues with imbalance. Therefore, while this is an option, the better choice would be to tear out the old floor and have new flooring installed, especially if the new floor is hardwood.

Let us say you wanted to install vinyl flooring. For this type of flooring, the best option is to buy sheets. Just be sure that you use the type of adhesive recommended by the manufacturer in that it is different from other adhesives. You should first create a template made of paper of the floor�s perimeter and measurements. Roll the paper along the edges of the room and then tape it into place any place where there would be a seam or a place where the tile would turn a corner.

Using the template you created, you can then cut the sheet of vinyl, making sure you allow a minimum of 5% more than the actual room size for cutting and waste. Depending on the pattern, you may need to allow even more so you can match the pattern up correctly.

Before you actually put adhesive down on the floor, be sure you do a test fit with all the pieces. Once you know that pieces are cur correctly, you can then use the adhesive, starting with a small section of the floor and working the piece of vinyl down before moving on to the next section. Do this for all of the cut pieces, allowing overlap on the first piece at the area where the seam will be.

You then want to lay a straight edge down along the overlap and line it up with the seam. Cut down both pieces of the vinyl from one end to the other end. Once all the pieces are in place, you want to remove any of the scrap pieces. Then apply adhesive to the edges using a roller and then press the seams together to fully bond.

Keep in mind that some of the vinyl may only need some perimeter bonding at the seams and edges. In that case, you should lay a sheet of vinyl down so it fits into the corners well. Once in place, cut the seam, spread some adhesive under the seam and then put pressure on the edges to make it seal.

If you are more interested in hardwood or ceramic flooring, you can follow the instructions by the manufacturer. However, with these types of floors, there is a bit more work involved and some level of expertise is helpful. Therefore, if you have never put hardwood or ceramic flooring down, you should expect to get some help or hire a professional.

Outdoor Lighting Installation

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Outdoor Lighting Installation

Outdoor lighting is not only a beautiful addition for your backyard but functional. For enhancing landscaping, you can install lighting that is low voltage to provide illumination. Other benefits of outdoor lighting include safety, and overall ambience. Low voltage kits are sold at many hardware and home improvement stores and come with a built-in transformer that has a timer. This feature allows you to choose when to have the lights turn on and off, adding convenience.

The transformers are able to use a household 120-volt and make it safe to run 12 volts. To install low lighting for your outdoors, a GFCI receptacle will be required on the exterior of your home. If you do not presently have on, an electrician will need to install one. Most importantly, always contact your local gas and electric company before you start to dig to ensure there are no underground cables or pipes.

For installation, choose the type of lights you prefer and keep in mind the areas you want to illuminate. Generally, you will find lights in four or seven watt so if you plan to brighten a large area you may need more lights than expected. Make sure the transformer has adequate wattage where additional lights could be added in the future. Be sure you have a diagram from which to work, which will help you stay on track of where you want the lighting to be installed. In addition, make good notes so you are reminded of problem areas, or specifics as to what you want to be illuminated. For example, you may have numerous types of plants and flowers on the south side of the house but in particular, you want your prized roses to shine.

After you have purchased the correct number of lights, position them to coordinate with your diagram. Typically, lights will come with a stake that can be driven into soft dirt easily. For this reason, the evening before you do the installation, water the ground thoroughly and then the morning of, sprinkle it with water so the ground is soft. Lay the lights down where the will be installed and then starting at the GFCI receptacle, lay out the cable so it runs to where the lights have been laid out. The cable above ground will be buried so no need to worry about anything being unsightly. Make sure you leave enough excessive cable at the transformer for each of the lights, which will allow you to move your lights later on. Each light has two wires with a metal tip. By putting one tab on each side of the cable and snapping it together, the light is installed. When the tip is pierced into the cable, the electrical connection is created. If the light does not come on, make sure these tabs are secured together.

You will then separate the wires at the end of the electrical cable and strip �-inch of insulation. The two screws on the transformer will be loosened and the bare wires you just stripped slid under the correct terminal. Once complete, plug in the transformer, and turn it on. Look at each light to ensure it is working. Keep in mind that if the day is bright and sunny, it may be difficult to tell if they are on so you may need to shield the light from the sun or recheck when it starts to get dark. With a small shovel, you need to dig down 5 inches to bury the cable. Once the cable is buried, cover it with dirt and compact it down. Finally, set the timer to come on, go off at the desired time, and enjoy your new lights.