Harvesting Rainwater - Home Advice

The so-called "green" harvesting of roof-shed rainwater with above-ground rain barrels or catch tanks reduces the watershed that currently overloads some of our municipal sewer and storm-water drainage systems. Still, could we do the same thing by installing underground cisterns similar to those used during the 1800's and early 1900's?

Description of theearlier cisterns

Many older homes and estates today still have the remnants of their early underground rainwater cisterns. These fairly large round, water-tight, root-free, 500-to-5000-gallon cisterns were madefrom brick, stone, rock, plaster,concrete, or combinations of these materials. They were each capped withan above-ground manhole-typeof openinglarge enough totake a big bucket. Thisopeningallowed the cisternto be periodically cleaned-out and repaired by the owner or by a third-party service.

The tin or zinc-plated guttering used on the house eaves then, whichcarriedthe rainwaterdown to the cisterns, were open and not covered. So,quite a bitofwind-blown tree leaves andseeds,and other debriscould maketheir into the cisterns. For that reason, the suction end of theiron plumbingwas located above the cistern floor, where the debris would eventually settle.

This relatively clean, soft,outsidewater supplywas plumbed directly tothe long-handle hand-pumps installed at the kitchen and bathroom sinks and thebathtubin the main house. Itwas also plumbed to the hand-pump in a small building behind the house that served as a summer kitchen and a place to wash laundry, to can garden produce, and to butcher chickens and hogs. This water supply remained relatively cool and unfrozen the year around. Generally, it was used for cooking, washing dishes, cleaning, canning, butchering, and bathing. But it could be drunk, too, after boiling it.

Modern cisterns

Modern cisterns operate much like the ones described above. However,instead of being built into the ground from scratch, they are buried prefabricated ones instead. That is, these cisternscould beprefabricated concrete receptacles, orthey could be large prefabricated heavy-duty plastic tanks capped withfairly large screw-on tops, similar to the ones seen on certain lawn-treatment trucks.

Also,today'saluminum, steel, plastic, or coppereave gutterswill haveporous or solidcoverings. Thus, the amount of debris entering the cisterns from the rooftops will be minimal. Yet, the fine sand-like material shed by asphalt or composite shingles willneed to be filtered out earlyduring the harvesting process; else, it will eventually have to be removed from the buried cistern. Theplumbing for the moderncisternwill beheavy plastic pipe. Of course, the pump itself will probably be an electric one, its size and accessories will depend on how the harvested water is used.

More-than-likely, becausemost of us alreadyhavereliable purified municipal indoor drinking and bathing water supplies, this cistern water will be used for outdoor purposes, like, for the sprinkling of lawns and gardens, for filling fish ponds and small treated swimming pools,for watering trees and animals, and for washing vehicles, driveways, patios, decks,andhouses.The following three advantages ofthe modernburied cistern system suggest this technology will work well today: 1) theyare hidden from view and out-of-the-way by being underground, 2) theydo not foster the production ofalgae or mosquitoes in the summer time, and 3) theyhelp conserve themunicipal storm-drainage systemsand drinking water supplies.

Further information on cisterns

Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia Cistern http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cistern

Author contact: j__l__d@sbcglobal.net

Fixings Squeaky Stairs - Home Repairs

Oh yes the common problem of squeaking stairs in an older house. This could become very frustrating and annoying as you walk up and down the stairs. There seems to be one or two stair treads that are always squeaking. That annoying sound as you walk as softly as you can on your way down to the kitchen in the middle of the night to grab a quick snack.

The number one cause of squeaking stairs is when the nails used to fasten the stair tread to the stair strainers has worked its way loose. Over time as the lumber shrinks in the stair treads and the stairs stringers. You will start to develop a separation or a gap between the stair tread and the stair strainer.

The stair stringer can shrink as much as 3/8 of an inch in just a few years. I was building a home and went to measure the stair stringer that was 11 1/2 inches wide originally. Then I measured it after two months outside in the summer sun it now measured 11 1/16". I was amazed that the lumber could shrink that much in such a short period of time.

As the stair stringer shrinks it starts to pull away from the plywood or hardwood stair tread. As it starts to separate from the stair tread the nail will stay in its original position until the stair tread starts to put pressure on the nail eventually lifting it up a little bit higher than its original position.

As you step on the stair tread the squeaking sound you hear is the nail rubbing against the stair tread. There are a few ways to fix a squeaking stair tread. If you have access to under the stairway you can apply some adhesive along with a 10 inch 2 x 4 under the stair tread and attach it to the stair stringer.

First apply adhesive to two sides of the 2 x 4. The adhesive will be used to glue the stair tread to the stair stringer. You can use screws to screw the new 2 x 4 onto the side of the stair stringer.

If you cannot access the underside of the stairs and you have carpeting you can actually locate the stair stringer and drive a 2 inch screw through the carpeting in to the stair stringer. This will pull the stair tread down and will not allow it to rub up against the nail making that awful sound of a squeaking stair case.

If you have a finished wood stair tread you will not be able to screw through it into the stair stringer without damaging the finish on tread itself. It will be easier to access the stair stringer from below somehow and apply the 2 x 4 with the adhesive to stop the stair squeak.

You can apply these methods to as many stair treads that are squeaking without taking apart the entire staircase and rebuilding it.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more building stairs books and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Stair Building

Corrosive Metal Conduit

The Glass Block Revolution Spreading to Home Design

Glass blocks have come a long way, even competing with regular bricks when it comes to interior and exterior design of rooms. We are living in times when visual appearances are very important and more people are insisting on having something out of the ordinary when it comes to their immediate surroundings. For many, they can simply accentuate the room with special flowers, paintings and more. Others prefer something more permanent, such as glass blocks.

Glass blocks come in very many designs, shapes, colors and even textures although all of them are made of glass. Below are some different types of glass blocks:

Standard series
Decorative
Glass flooring
Colors and finishes

Standard series
-wave satin
-wave endblock
-90% curved corner wave
-Imported from Germany
-Made in USA

Decorative (water organic, arts and crafts, geometric, lined and ribbed)
-starburst
-Mirage
-Neptune
-Bubble
-Bonzai

Colored
-Pastels
-Primaries
-Earthtones

We now see how many types of glass blocks exist. Their variety is awesome and this caters to any type of design and preference. One would be hard-pressed to find a glass block that they would regard as ideal for their own custom surroundings.

If you want to get glass blocks installed, the first place to look is the home improvement stores. Stores such as Home Depot sell and install almost all the above types of glass blocks that we have mentioned. Most people are not experts at this and that is why Home Depot maintains qualified personnel who for an extra fee, can help you choose just the ideal glass blocks for your immediate liking and also assist you with installation.

Glass blocks have several major advantages. One of them is resilience. Glass blocks are very strong because they are designed out of industrial glass that has been treated to temper it and make it able to withstand great pressure. This makes it an ideal for construction and in some quarters it is actually known as glass brick.

Glass blocks are also beautiful. In some European cities, they are used to construct entire buildings giving the building a very exotic and at the same time futuristic look especially when light bulbs are fitted inside. Glass blocks allow light without compromising on security and that is why they have become a favorite when it comes to office construction.

When it comes to energy saving and conservation, glass blocks have also become a favorite in many quarters. This is because in a glass block environment, there is little need for artificial lighting especially during the day because natural light is allowed into the room. That means that with time, the office begins to realize energy savings in form of lower energy costs. It is hard to realize these savings when all the light bulbs are on 24-7 as is the case with natural brick office buildings.

The best way to go about installing glass blocks is to contact a handyman. In many cases they will refer you to a home improvement store to choose and buy the glass block designs of your choice first.

Need information about about glass blocks? Theodor Cartman recommends the best glass blocks when buying.

Painting Contractor Tips For a Clean Job

Interior and exterior both paintings require close monitoring for a clean job. Contractors provide great help to get the job done however, the issue is that you requirements may be miss-conceived by the contractors for that matter at every step of the painting process you have to work close to the contractors so that you can paint the house according to your specifications.

Before specifying the requirements consult the color scheme and the paint material to be used with the contractor. That help you to build a friendly relationship with contractor and they feel more motivated working on their own proposed solutions. Also involve the whole family in decide the color scheme and the texture of the paint so as to minimize the conflicts after the job.

First and the most important job is to review the initial estimate, as the contractors work according to the job and requirements specified in the initial estimate. Check for all the work that has to be done before painting e-g repairing cracks, leakage, broken nails, small holes and bores. You may get this work done by the painting contractors free of cost if you request them in initial estimate. These small jobs will make you pain job perfect. Painting the house without repairing these cracks and holes will affect the overall look and life of the paint. Working carefully on initial estimate will eliminate delays in the painting job. Make sure that the house was trimmed before the paint and all the dirty surfaces have been cleaned, it will help the paint to form a strong bond.

Once the work starts, monitor the crew staff closely because it would be difficult to fix the odd patches after the job. To get the job clean and exclusive, make sure that the crew staff is working with new equipment. Especially the rollers have to be in good working conditions. Paint the trim first, then ceiling and wall in the end. Starting with walls will waste the paints, and will also affect the looks of the paint negatively. Once the wall has been painted, the trim paint will appear on the wall paint, same is the case with ceiling.

Once the paint job is done; closely examine the edges of the walls and ceiling. As uneven and poorly painted edges affects the life of the paint badly. Since it is very difficult to deal with the plastic drop sheets, try to use cotton drop clothes.

When the job is finished, keep the contractor with you to examine the house. To ensure a safe and good looking paint job, several coasts are used to cover the surface. Any uneven coat or bleed through of the fresh paint should be fixed there and then. To inspect the paint properly have a look on the walls, ceilings and window frames from different angles and distance. This will give you the clear picture of the painting.

Painting contractors are professionals, they know the job better. All you have to do is to clearly communicate your requirements and limitations. Any miss-conception about the job will result into a conflict at the end. To make the paint job good experience, try to work closely to the contractors.

Bio: View my profile for more articles about San Diego Painting Contractor

David Hay is the owner of 858 GRAPHICS in San Diego, California. 858 Graphics designs, builds, prints and installs almost any type of graphics. For all your Trade Show Display, Wall Murals, Outdoor Signs, Poster Printing and Vehicle Wraps needs, please visit http://www.858graphics.com

Starting With Simple Things

Home Purchasing Checklists Provides Peace of Mind

Home purchasing checklists provide protection for consumers with useful information for future home repairs or current home repairs that will need to be done before the home is sold. Home inspectors often use checklists like these, while they're inspecting the home.

If more home shoppers used home inspection checklist while shopping for houses, we would probably have more satisfied homebuyers than dissatisfied ones. Recently just purchasing a home, we had our real estate professional, the previous homeowner's real estate professional and a mortgage lender, involved in the purchase of the property.

There was a home inspection report from the current homeowners, available for us to look at. It provided us with the damaged parts of the home that were repaired or replaced. Some of these repairs were from termite damage and it was stated so on the report. This was helpful information for us as we walked around the home inspecting it for damage.

The work that was repaired to look satisfactory and the rest of the home had minor damage. Listening to one of the real estate sales people that were involved in the transaction, you would've thought we would get in the deal of a lifetime and they had nothing but good news to say about the product they were representing. I easily understood that, this person could have influenced some one into believing that the home was in great shape, if they didn't have a home inspection checklist with them.

The home had been re-carpeted, painted and was in generally good shape. The problems with the home, were the old windows that were hard to open, the heating unit leaked gas, the tile flooring that ran through the kitchen and a large room addition looked great, except for one thing, they installed the tile over linoleum.

This eventually will have to be replaced as the tile starts to separate from the linoleum. While I'm writing this article, there's about 40 square feet of tile that needs to be replaced, because it's popping up and cracking.

A home purchasing checklist does not guarantee that you will find everything but can't eliminate some of the things that homeowners have the biggest problems with. If you could just eliminate one of these problems, the small price of purchasing, one of these checklists would be worth it.

Home purchasing checklists provide protection for the shopper and I would recommend, never shopping for a home without one.

If your looking for some more home inspection or home building ideas.

By Greg Vanden Berge

Home Siding Books

Home Improvement Projects - Building a Deck

Adding a deck to your home is a very useful way of gaining some extra space on the outside of your home, this can be used as extra living space. Decking is a really great place to use to entertain people, or simply to sit down and look at your beautiful garden. Home improvement deck projects are some of the best simple projects which you can do around the house, it's even possible to do these by yourself without having to hire professional assistance. Decks are becoming much more popular as people like to spend more time outside in the garden.

It's actually pretty easy to create your own deck project, you just need to plan carefully and consider every aspect. You will be able to find many of these decking plans on the internet or in their home improvement stores alongside the other supplies. If you haven't worked with decking before then you should spend time getting to know the materials so that you don't make a mistake. The cost that you end up paying for the decking will depend completely upon the material and type of wood that you use, and the size of deck you need. It is best to try and buy the best quality wood possible as this will be the most durable. If you get extreme weather then it is always worthwhile getting advice to find suitable materials.

It's possible to complete most of these decking products in a weekend. It might take some people longer of course, it all depends how many cups of coffee you plan on drinking! Carefully following the home improvement plans for decking which can be found on the internet you shouldn't have any problems. Make sure you read all of the instructions and be careful not to rush.

Not only does a deck provide your family with more living space, but it will also increase the value of your home. As decks are so important many people buying a home will look for one with a deck, or at least a nice garden. Your house will have both of these things. It is important to have somewhere where you can eat outside, it's all very popular at the moment. You will certainly benefit from installing a deck, and it's also a really good way of adding value onto your home. When you have completed your decking project you simply need to add a few pieces of garden furniture and you can start enjoying the space. This extra space is well suited to party's as it's much easier to clean than your carpet.

Decking projects may seem like a huge thing to do, however it is certainly worth the effort that it takes to do. If you look after it properly then this deck will last for many years to come.

Kurt Schefken usually creates long articles on things relating to hurricane window protection and hurricane protection. Sharing his passion in publications on hurricane window protection and interior storm windows the columnist affirmed his experience in the field.

Rusted Roof Edge Metal

Pleasing, Perfect Patios

Scope
A good starting point will be to undertake a site assessment and analysis of the client needs and user requirements. The adage 'don't fire a canon to kill a fly', comes to mind, therefore from the outset it is important to determine the scope, i.e., how will the area(s) be used, by whom, how many users and when do these needs arise. Scope can also influence patio layout/profile and indeed levels, and these aspects are important factors to be considered in developing a creative but distinctive patio layout.

Position
Some of the previous questions might be obvious, but how many times have we seen patios which are too small or worse are poorly positioned for the event? Too sunny or more likely too shaded and cold when being used? Put simply if the main activity and time of day is around 'lunch events' then it would be obvious that the patio position should reflect this need. It is important to note site characteristics, all level might be fine for many people but some might be challenged by variable levels. The latter can also be exploited in the design and layout. Site orientation including the direction of sun travel should be noted as well as the positions of the sunny but also the shaded areas and the relevant times. Again this will be important for planning the various patio areas for breakfast, lunch and evening/dinner activities. Frequently space availability (or lack of) and site orientation do frequently impinge on patio positioning options. Typically patios are used more in evenings and are therefore positioned away from the house so as to catch the evening sun. In order cases, some very fortunate users may have separate patios and thus optimum positioning options for sun and/or shade.

Size
An area to sit, read and eat will have different space needs. Small sites do limit options, access routes can also influence size. Too small and the area will appear cramp, unappealing and probably unusable. Too large and perhaps 'car park look' comes to mind. Getting the balance right will be influenced by a number of factors scope, space availability etc. As a general guide, we would recommend that the minimum airspace/footprint should be 3.0 metre/10 feet, but with space availability permitting a better layout would be in the range 4.5m-5.0m/15-16 feet. This area allows for adults to sit comfortably at tables or later stretch the legs without fear of running out of space. In smaller sites, which may necessitate the use of compact but round tables, typically minimum diameters would be 3.0m/10feet, but these are small spaces for 4-6 adults.

Therefore for groups comprising 4-6 adults, the practical size requirements for the main patio area would be approx 4.5m x 5.0m or 15ft x 16ft. Clearly reading areas or informal /alfresco areas will require much less space. Access routes should be a minimum of 1.2m-1.5m /4-5 feet wide. There is little point building pedestrian routes/pathways 3.0m/10feet wide? Better to reduce the paved space and space gained utilise for additional planting/lawn/features?

Transition
One frequently (very popular with designers/architects) comes across the expression 'seamless transition'. What does this expression mean? Essentially this refers to the physical extension of the interior area to the exterior space, in which one leads from the former to the latter. In otherwords the garden or 'outdoor room' appears as an integral part of the house. To exit the interior and enter the exterior space ideally on same level, continuity of colour and textures, no steps and an open aspect or view to the garden area. The traditional French-style patio doors opening out to a patio area with panoramic garden views comes to mind! Incorporating planted beds within the patio areas and also against the house walls not only contributes to achieving a seamless transition but also a much more attractive patio area that is more integrated within garden but probably a more cost effective utilisation of available space. What should be avoided at all costs, is where the patio area is simply a buffer zone stretching the width of the site and a simple division between house and garden.

Construction
There is an increasing but vast range of patio materials from which to choose. The unique characteristics and appeal of natural paving stone is very popular, with sandstone, granite, and limestone being the most popular. Colour, size and orientation should also be carefully considered within the overall preferred garden style. For example, warm earthy sandstone tones might appeal or be more compatible with traditional Victorian/Mixed Border style Herbaceous gardens, but the light or neutral tones of granite paving might be stunning in more contemporary or minimalist gardens. The paving patterns can also influence the overall look, small complex patterns might be ideal for 'townhouse gardens' but appear fussy in larger sites. Large rectangular slabs can be laid to emphasise the width or turned around to stretch the length. The slab size must also conform to design style, a traditional layout for a larger area might involve a random joint incorporating 4 or more sizes of paving slab. A contemporary layout might be one size laid in a staggered or 'soldier course'.

Texture
Where possible try and introduce texture, ideally in various forms of the primary material. For example, if you are planning on constructing a patio with sandstone, do consider using sandstone risers for steps but also sandstone setts for lawn edging and sandstone chippings for borders and trims. Not only will this provide interesting textural contrasts but a more coordinated effect. Whereas some might prefer the visual contrast of mixing apples with oranges, I would much prefer a more coherent appearance of one material and use layout to reflect functionality but also visual contrast.

Obstacles
In many cases there is no scope to reposition/remove unsightly utilities such as rainwater downpipes, gulleys, manholes, inspection chambers etc. But the presence of many of these unsightly necessities can be disguised or concealed by design. Recess frames are excellent to conceal covers but provide easy access to waste water, and integrated planted beds can be positioned to conceal pipework etc.

Finally the perfect patio is an integrated space that requires careful and creative planning but must also be well constructed if maximum enjoyment is to be realised.

The author is Director of OWEN CHUBB GARDEN LANDSCAPES LIMITED, an established and award winning garden landscaping company based in Dublin, Ireland. The company offers clients a complete landscaping service including Garden Design, Construction & Planting.

For more information about company and inspiring aspects of landscaping, visit:

http://www.owenchubblandscapers.com

Stair Problem