You will need:

1. Plastic Pail Or Bin With Tight Fitting Lid
2. Drill
3. Newspapers Or Dry Leaves
4. Dirt
5. Food Scraps
6. A Stick
7. Lukewarm Water

Compost Bins

Steps:

1. First, purchase or recycle a plastic pail or bin with a tight fitting lid, which is about 24 inches tall or taller. The pail’s lid will protect your compost from any critters and pests and to keep the soil moist.
2. Then, use drill to drill 8 to 10 small holes in the bottom of your container. The holes will act for aeration function.
3. You can also drill a few holes on the sides or the walls of the bin if needed. Throw in some shredded newspapers or dry leaves on the bottom of your compost bin until about 1/8 to ¼ full.
4. Fill the pail with the soil from your garden on top of the newspaper until your compost is half full.
5. Next, put your compost bin in a shady area or place without direct sunlight such as the backyard.
6. If you don’t have a backyard or you are living in apartment, place your compost bin on the patio.
7. Make sure that your compost is not receiving direct sunlight as this will make your compost to dry out.
8. Put any food scraps or paper products into the compost bin such as vegetables, paper towels, fruit, crushed egg shells, onion skins and coffee grounds. Use a stick to stir the compost a bit to make sure that your food scraps will be covered by the dirt.
9. Spray the mixture with lukewarm water until the surface is moist, but not too wet.
10. Use the drill again to drill 8 to 10 small holes on the bin lid then place it back again on the compost bin. You can add food scraps on every other day to the bin, giving it a stir afterward. By mixing the compost, the scraps breakdown process is quicker.
11. To use your compost, wait about 2 to 3 months. The uses of compost are as mulch to cover flower beds, lawn conditioner and as potting soil. You could also save at least 1/3 of your original compost to start the compost process again.

Image Credit:

Flickr CC

Additional Reading:

Easy Composters You Can Build

How to Build, Maintain, and Use a Compost System: Secrets and Techniques You Need to Know to Grow the Best Vegetables (Back-To-Basics)

Building Compost Bins is a post from: DIY Guides

Related posts:

1. Building a back porch compost tumbler
2. Reusing your food scraps into compost
3. Differences Between Compost & Topsoil

You will need:

1. Ready -mix concrete
2. Pointing Trowel Mortar
3. Caulking Gun
4. Adhesive Caulking

Concrete Block

Steps:

1. First, mix a bag or a half of ready-mix concrete. If you are mixing large amounts of concrete, wear steel toe-capped boots for foot protection.
2. You have to work it quickly to prevent the concrete from hardening before the job is finished. Take the pointing trowel and load it with the ready-mix concrete. Use a board to remove excess concrete and with a trowel held at an angle parallel to the missing mortar between the old concrete blocks.
3. Fill the gap with fresh concrete. Scrape the point of the trowel to make a smooth edge and to finish off the repair. Leave it for overnight to cure.
4. Fill the adhesive caulk into the caulking gun and snip off the tip at the desired width. The caulk will help to fill in deep cracks in the old concrete block wall. Pull the trigger of the caulking gun until a drop of adhesive caulk forms at the tip. Place the tip at the top of the crack in the old concrete block wall and start to squeeze carefully until some of the caulk appears.
5. Continue to squeeze the gun until the entire crack is filled with the caulk. Smooth off the edge with your wet fingertip.
6. Fill a tube of mortar and concrete caulk into a caulking gun to fill a hole in an old concrete block.
7. Cut off the tip of the tube and squeeze until a drop appears at the tip of the tube. Fill the hole from the bottom up in a sideway’s motion by squeezing the caulk gun.
8. Use enough of caulk to fill the cracks and leave the caulk to cure, according to the product’s directions.

Image Credit:

Flickr CC

Additional Reading:

Building with Masonry: Brick, Block, and Concrete

Concrete Block Construction for Home and Farm

Patching a Concrete Block is a post from: DIY Guides

Related posts:

1. Building a wall block using concrete
2. Koi Pond – Concrete block filter units
3. Building something using concrete

You will need:

1. Caulk
2. Tile
3. Window Sill
4. Cement Board

Shower Window

Steps:

1. First, apply cement board across the shower area on the same side as the window jamb. Take a big amount of silicone caulking and apply them between the cement board and the jamb.
2. You should use a good quality of caulk for better performance as cheaper could also mean it’s easier for the caulk to get damaged in a longer period. Make sure to use a permanent caulking especially made for baths.
3. Then, add an extra sealant to prevent moisture. Using caulking alone cannot be trusted when dealing with windows in the shower.
4. You can buy a waterproof membrane that can be wrapped around the window joint and the wooden jamb in a home improvement store. Attach the membrane to the jamb with a latex-modified thinset and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the drying step.
5. Next, install a pitched window sill that will let the water hit the window to drain back into the tub instead of lying stagnant. Corian material can be used to make as window sill.
6. To create a pitch, build up a few layers of latex-modified thinset closet to the glass windows. Make sure to get the thinset thicker than usual for easier layering.
7. If your shower is tiled and you want a unified look, tile the over top of the Corian. Apply additional caulking to the entire window and intersects that need to be covered. Check the window regularly for cracks and leaks.

Image Credit:

Flickr CC

Additional Reading:

Design Ideas for Bathrooms

Bathroom Remodeling for Dummies

Waterproofing my Shower Window is a post from: DIY Guides

Related posts:

1. Waterproofing your lights in the shower
2. Pre-Fabricated Shower Unit 
3. Installing a shower curtain in your shower

You will need:

1. Rubbing alcohol
2. Clamp
3. Flux Rod
4. Welding Gloves
5. Protective Mask
6. Wire Brush
7. Oxyacetylene Torch

Aluminum Tubing

Steps:

1. First, use the rubbing alcohol and a wire brush to rub the surface to remove all the grease and dirt.
2. Then, use a clamp to the aluminum rod so that it won’t move when you are fixing it. Leave the area that requires the weld free.
3. Next, ignite the flame on your torch. Make sure the flame that you have is soft, blue flame with no red or orange flame from it. Begin to heat the flux and coat the tip of your joint with the heated flux.
4. Continue to heat the flux so that it begins to flow and slowly drip the flux onto the joint. To prevent the aluminum from heating up too much, make small dabs of flux at a time. When the flux step is done, leave the flux to cool and set.
5. Fill a tub with water and dip the aluminum tube into it to cool the tube. Dip for several minutes until the aluminum tube is cool. Leave the tube to dry or use a clean rug.
6. To make sure that the aluminum tube surface is smooth and shiny; sand the tube until the flux flakes are removed.

Image Credit:

Flickr CC

Additional Reading:

Energy-Efficient Building (Best of Fine Homebuilding)

Piping Systems Manual

Brazing an Aluminum Tubing is a post from: DIY Guides

Related posts:

1. Drilling an Aluminum Pipe
2. How to Repair a Hole in Aluminum Siding
3. Grounding an Electric Dog Fence

There are areas that also several selections of texture pattern and thickness that you can see on the face of the Hopper gun. Besides that, it can also work with an air compressor and you need to play with the air pressure whenever you are working with the texture material.

What you need to do:

1. Masking tape
   
2. Drop Cloths
   
3. Hopper
   
4. Spray Texture
   
5. Water
   
6. Bucket
   
7. Paint stick
   
8. Scrap cardboard
   
9. Safety goggle
   

Hopper Gun

Method:

1. First of all, you must ensure that you empty the room that you want to do the texture or you can cover the surfaces using a drop cloth. This is very important as it will not spoil any of the room’s items. Many people choose to cover up the things that are found in the room, but it is still better to just remove them all.
   
2. If possible you need to tape around all of your furniture to create a seal. The reason for doing this is because spraying the drywall will result to lots of dust and your room’s surrounding will be full of dirt. So, it is better to tape around all of your furniture. If your furniture is old and you are looking for a reason to replace them then it’s not a problem.
   
3. For texturing a small section of your house wall or ceiling, it is recommended that you purchase a pressurized can of texture spray that is normally found at your local hardware stores or home improvement centre. If you are confused on which one to buy then better ask the sales assistant.
   
4. You should always perform an experiment first on a piece of scrap board before you start spraying on the wall or ceiling in order to get the right size particles for that particular section.
   
5. As for a large area, you need to use a spray or Hopper Gun to make the task easier. You can also use a bucket filled with water and mix it with your spray texture.
   
6. You must adhere to the instruction and follow the ratio of water to spray texture, as recommended by the spray texture’s manufacturer. Then, use a paint stick to stir the mixture until it is well mixed and always bear in mind that a different size of hoppers will need a different amount of mixtures. You need to only mix the mixture for at least one hour so that the mixture will not dry too much.
   
7. Next step is for you to attach your hopper to the hopper gun, tighten its clamp which is around the bottom of your hopper before pouring the mixture into the hopper gun.
   
8. If you do not feel confident, try practicing on pieces of cardboard right until you achieve your preferred consistency. One example of the setting is the “popcorn” settings for ceilings or walls or also known as orange peel. You can choose this setting and experiment it on a piece of scrap wall board for getting the correct size of particles to be used.
   
9. After that, you need to spray your walls gently and keep its nozzle moving at all the times when you spray so that you can avoid spraying too much texture in a single area. It is easier to add an additional texture rather than trying to remove heavily sprayed texture. Whenever you have accidentally sprayed too heavily on a certain area, you need to scrape it quickly while it is still wet and redo the spraying again.
   
10. Ensure that you allow the texture to be able to dry thoroughly for at least 24 hours before you can proceed with your painting work.
    
11. If you are still not confident or have never done any remodeling, texturing, or painting just because you do not know how to do it, there are other options that you can take for example, there are some lumber or hardware stores that provide special clinics in the evenings or weekends that can teach you how to use Hopper Gun or Spray texturing. Besides that, you can also learn it from books, internet or even from videos.
    

Image Credit:

Flickr CC

Additional Reading:

Crumble, Crackle, Burn: 120 Stunning Textures for Design & Illustration

Spraying Texture With a Hopper Gun is a post from: DIY Guides

Related posts:

1. Texturing plaster wall
2. Getting the Wallpaper Down
3. Faux Finish: Leather

Every type of heat detector has its own advantages or disadvantages and when you want to install the heat detector you should discuss it with a professional person who will suggest to you which one of the best heat detectors is suitable for your house. Some of the heat detector which is normally used is rate-of-rise heat detector and the fixed threshold detector. For those of you who already have a heat detector installed in your house, you need to always check whether it is working or has failed when you do a testing process on it. If you find out that it is faulty, you need to replace it with a new one (only the unit without tampering with the wiring) and it is recommended that the device be replaced every 10 years.

What you need to do:

1. New heat detector
   
2. New battery
   

Heat Detector

Method:

1. Firstly, you need to open the battery compartment of the new heat detector before insert a nine-volt battery onto it. Once done, you can press the test button and wait for a few seconds until you hear an alarm rings meaning that your battery is in a good condition.
   
2. Before you start doing any other work, you must make sure that you turn off the power on the circuit breaker for safety precautions. Then, remove the existing heat detector by unscrewing it from its mounting base and unclip its power supply.
   
3. After that, you need to reattach the power connectors onto your new heat detector. The connectors need to be lined up and you have to slip them in just like a plug.
   
4. Then, you have to insert back the lock pin inside the lock on the heat detector’s base. Once that has been done, you can reattach the heat detector on its existing mounting brackets and lock it once the pin head is fastened and connected with the notch.
   
5. Next step is for you to turn on the power and test its operation. You can push either the test or silence button where the heat detector will produce a sound and also light up a green light meaning that it is working fine.
   

Image Credit:

Flickr CC

Additional Reading:

Fundamentals of Infrared Detector Operation and Testing

Handbook of Modern Sensors: Physics, Designs, and Applications

Replacing a Heat Detector is a post from: DIY Guides

Related posts:

1. First Alert Carbon Monoxide Detector Installation
2. Choosing the right Heat Collector for Solar Hot Water
3. Converting Oil to Gas Heat

According to standard building codes, it requires you to install a GFCI outlet in areas, which is near to water for example in your kitchen, bathrooms or garage. However, it is not necessary for you to install a GFCI outlet for all outlets near water, just the first one in a series is sufficient enough and by doing so this single GFCI would be able to ‘trip’ if one of its receptacles below its line is shorted out.

What you need to do:

1. GFCI Outlet
   
2. GFCI outlet plate
   
3. Electrical tape
   
4. Flat-head Screwdriver
   
5. Needle nose pliers
   
6. Circuit tester
   
7. Utility knife
   

GFCI Electrical Outlet

Method:

1. Firstly, you must make sure that you have already turned off the circuit that you will work on at the circuit breaker box. Double check to see that the switch is flipped to the ‘Off’ position and for those houses that use a fuse box; you need to remove the fuse which controls the circuit. You can simply do another test on the receptacle using a circuit tester to see whether it has been turned off or not.
   
2. The next step is for you to remove its cover plate. There are two screws holding the receptacle onto the box and you would be able to unscrew them using a flat head screwdriver. Once finished, you can pull the receptacle out of the box.
   
3. You must check the wires connecting to the receptacle. If you notice there are six wires connecting to the receptacle, it is in the middle of the line; whenever you are connecting the GFCI, for all receptacles further down the line will be controlled by it. You must determine which wires are feed or live wires. As for three wires, you will be able to see the receptacle at the end of the line.
   
4. To know which wire is the live one, you have to unscrew all the wires from the receptacle and separate them. You also have to ensure that they do not touch each other or happen to touch any other metal surface.
   
5. Once done, you need to turn back on the circuit breaker at your breaker box and then hold your electrical tester to each of the black and white wires to enable you to know which wires are the live ones. Make sure to make a note of the live wires or label it before you turn off the circuit breaker off at the breaker box.
   
6. After that, you need to attach the live black and the live white wires onto the terminals, which are being marked as ‘LINE’ on the side of the GFCI receptacle. Next, you must loop the wires in a clockwise direction around the screws or pushing them right through the quick connect holes before tightening the screws.
   
7. Then, you have to attach the black and white wires which connect to the receptacles further below the line onto the terminals which are being marked as ‘LOAD’ while the bare ground wire has to be attached to the green screw located at the bottom of your GFCI receptacle.
   
8. Next, the GFCI needs to be pushed into the receptacle box, tighten its screws securely before installing back the cover plate.
   
9. Finally, you need to turn on the circuit breaker and test the operation of the circuit by pressing the test button located on the GFCI, followed by pressing on the reset button. For testing your connected wires at the LOAD terminals, you need to test the receptacles down below the line using the circuit tester and they should automatically trip once the GFCI breaks the circuit.
   

Image Credit:

Flickr CC

Additional Reading:

Ultimate Guide to Home Repair & Improvement

Electrical Construction: Electrical Fundamentals, Materials and Methods, and Project Management

Installing a GFCI Electrical Outlet is a post from: DIY Guides

Related posts:

1. Determining if a GFCI Outlet Is Bad
2. How to Kill a Wasp around an Electrical Outlet
3. Replacing a Circuit Breaker on a Non-Working Outlet

We all know that furniture made from pure wood is the most expensive one. Sure, if they are brushed up to look antique then they are more expensive than one can afford. The point here is if these types of furniture are expensive, it doesn’t mean that they are made to last a long time. Yes, they can last a long time, but only if you take the time out to properly preserve it. Meaning that accidents do happen and how many countless has someone or even you accidentally drop something on the tablet?

There is a time when somebody might flicking carelessly when lighting a cigarette which can result to burning ash on top of your favorite wood table. The cigarette burn will leave marks char and slight indentations on tables and other surfaces. If the marks are not treated as soon as possible, the table will look distressed and worn out. So, here are the steps on how to treat your wood table from cigarette burns;

You will need:

1. Steel wool
2. Fine sandpaper
3. Paper towel
4. 3 of microfiber cloths
5. Penknife
6. Shoe polish paste

Wood Table Top

Steps:

1. First, you will need to clean the tabletop by wiping it with a microfiber cloth to remove any loose dust, debris and dirt. A clean surface will make it easier for you to remove the cigarette burns.
2. Then, use a steel wool to rub the burn mark and to remove charred debris. When you are rubbing the steel wool, follow the direction of the wood grain to prevent scratch marks. Scrape out any embedded debris with a penknife carefully. Be careful not to scratch the wood with the penknife.
3. Next, smooth the wood’s surface with fine sandpaper by rubbing it on the damaged area. Again, follow the direction of the wood grain. With a microfiber cloth, remove any debris and dust on the wood’s surface.
4. Coat your scratched wood table evenly with a shoe polish paste using a paper towel. It is important to choose a color of shoe polish that matches the wood table. However, you can substitute boiled linseed oil or a paste of rotten stone if you don’t have a shoe polish. To make the wood table sparkle and shine, buff the wood in circular motions with another microfiber cloth.

Image Credit:

Flickr CC

Additional Reading:

Dining Tables: Outstanding Projects from America’s Best Craftsmen

Modern Antiques for the Table: A Guide to Tabletop Accessories of 1890-1940

Getting Cigarette Burns Out of a Wood Table Top is a post from: DIY Guides

Related posts:

1. How to Lacquer a Table
2. Keeping your Wood Paneling in Good Shape
3. Faux Finish : Pickling Wood

If your asphalt driveway is damaged in a crack form, it can be fixed easily with some tools and few easy steps. You will need to find an asphalt sealer at any hardware store, so if you have any questions it is better to ask your hard store assistant to obtain a suitable product for your problem. Anyone can do it, so here are the steps on how to do it.

You will need:

1. Asphalt sealer
2. High pressure washer or garden hose with a sprayer nozzle
3. Asphalt sealer applicator
4. Asphalt crack repair

Asphalt Driveway

Steps:

1. First, clean your asphalt driveway before fixing the crack. You can either use a high pressure washer or a garden hose with a sprayer nozzle. After the cleaning, leave your asphalt driveway to dry.
2. Then, you need to check and determine the size of the crack on your asphalt driveway. If the crack is a narrow one, you need to get a silicone tube of asphalt crack repair to be able to fix it.
3. Fill the asphalt crack repair into a silicon gun, which you can find at a hardware store. Press the silicon gun firmly into the crack to fill it with the asphalt crack repair. Leave the filler to dry completely.
4. Next, seal the asphalt after the crack filler has dried. You can either use a normal asphalt sealer from your local hardware store, to do this step, or spread it on using a sealer applicator and leave it off to dry.
5. If the crack in your asphalt is a wide crack one then you need to get some asphalt crack filler to fill in that crack. Follow the instructions on the label provided with the product when applying it to your asphalt crack. You could also get this product from any local hardware store. Apply an asphalt sealer if necessary.

Additional Reading:

Curb Appeal: Exciting Ways to Enhance the Appearance of Your Home

Black & Decker Outdoor Fix-It 101: Projects You Really Can Do Yourself (Black & Decker 101)

Image Credit:

Flickr CC

Filling a Crack in an Asphalt Driveway is a post from: DIY Guides

Related posts:

1. Unclogging a Driveway Drain
2. Building a Wooden Driveway Gate
3. Installing a Gate on Your Farm Driveway

Whenever you open up the front cover of your breaker box, you will be able to see a small black switch known as breakers. Breakers are used for replacing fuses in domestic electrical applications simply because it can be switched back on. As for fuse, once it is blown up it will be able to be used again and will need to be replaced. It is easy to install breaker switches and it really helps in protecting your home against potential fire accident.

What you need:

1. Screwdriver
   

Electrical Breaker Switch

Method:

1. Firstly, shut off the main breaker before opening the breaker box, which is the large black switch that is separated from the rows of smaller circuit breakers. By turning it off, all the power within your house will be cut off. You have to be well-prepared to take this step. It is better if you know your way around this so that you don’t shut off something else in error. Since shutting of the main breaker is very important for this step will shut down your place’s electricity, it is better and important to switch the heavy appliances that are constantly on electricity at your house. Appliances like refrigerator, microwaves, air conditioners, water heaters etc all need electricity to work and these are the appliances that we use most of the time, which means that they stay on for a very long time. Switching them off before shutting off the main breaker is important so as not to shock them by suddenly switching off the main breaker.
   
2. The next step is for you to remove the screws securing the breaker box front panel before taking the panel off. Before taking this step, make sure that all the electricity has been shut down successfully. This is to avoid any injuries. So, check the electric situation before undergoing this step.
   
3. Once you open the breaker box, choose the vacant place where you want to install the new breaker.
   
4. Ensure that you align the new breaker along with the other breakers and press it firmly until it clicks into the breaker slot at its top and bottom.
   
5. Then, you have to replace the front panel on the breaker box and screw it back on it.
   
6. Once done, you may turn on the power back as usual.
   
7. That’s how you install an electrical breaker switch in a breaker box.
   

Image Credit:

Flickr CC

Additional Reading:

Home Basics – Electrical Made Easy: A Step-by-Step Guide for Common Electrical Projects

Simplified Electrical Wiring Design Handbook: Basics, Conductors, Raceways, Wireways, Busways, Circuit Breakers, Safety Switches, Fuses, Power Distr

Installing an Electrical Breaker Switch in a Breaker Box is a post from: DIY Guides

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1. Installing a New Breaker in the Main Panel
2. Replacing a Circuit Breaker on a Non-Working Outlet
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